Forgotten Memory
by DietCokeIsLife
Summary: Triquel to Lost Soul! Things are far from perfect for the ninja as they- and the rest of Ninjago- adjust to having a newly revived Morro on their team. But, when an attack leaves one of them grievously injured, the ninja find themselves forced to travel into the Departed Realm yet again to seek help from the most unlikely of sources- and end up facing the ghosts of their pasts.
1. I'm Fine

**IT IS FINALLY HERE!**

 **Yes, Forgotten Memory is HERE! I would say it is maybe 80% finished as of now, but I wanted to go ahead and start posting it :D Honestly, I'm *pretty* nervous about this, but I'm forcing myself to do it!**

 **Updates for this story will be once a week on Saturdays, at least for now. Updates *may* move to Mondays if I find that works better in my schedule :D And, updates will be once a week, at least until I finish writing the story :D**

 **To clarify, the timeline for Getting to Know You is pretty ambiguous, but as it stands now, all of those one shots would take place before this story starts. BUT, I won't reference any events that take place in Getting to Know You to avoid confusing any readers who have not read it and because I will be adding on to it indefinitely, though you will see some of the headcanons make appearances! ;D**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

"It was an accident!"

"I'm fine, Jay," Morro repeated for the one billionth time, rolling his eyes from where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor of Wu's meditation room in Sensei Yang's newly renovated Airjitzu Temple. He grimaced as Master Wu inserted the needle into the soft flesh of his back- right next to his shoulder blade- once again. "It was my fault anyway."

This was true; they had been sparring with their weapons and Morro had bungled one of his evasive maneuvers. Jay, unable to stop his momentum since he had fully expected Morro to dodge the blow, had managed to deal him a cut that, while it required stitches, was still fairly minor in comparison to the wounds the ninja usually dealt with.

It didn't stop Jay from looking at Morro with wide guilty eyes, though.

"Besides," Morro continued, adopting his most evil smirk. "Now I have the opportunity to get even with you."

Jay started, going pale. Morro had been pleased to find that Jay was more than a little scared of him (not in the real way that Lloyd had been scared of him, but in the way that Jay was scared of Kai after he pulled a prank on the red ninja or the way he was scared of Cole after he'd eaten his brother's _clearly labeled_ cake in the fridge.)

"I'll just, uh, leave you two alone then!" Jay squeaked, quickly escaping to, most likely, beg his other brothers to protect him from Morro's wrath.

"Now that Jay has so kindly left us alone…," Wu led in conversationally as he continued stitching up Morro's wound. "Perhaps now you would like to talk about what is troubling you?"

Morro tried to hide his surprise, but he was one hundred percent certain that Wu noticed anyway.

"What makes you think something's troubling me?" Morro asked, his smirk returning. He was only being coy for fun, seeing as there was no point in trying to deny what Wu already knew to be true.

"You were distracted all throughout training, Morro," Wu explained in an admonishing tone. "You would have never made such a simple mistake during your spar unless you were troubled by something else entirely."

Morro hummed in agreement. "Alright, you win this round."

"Ah, with this victory, the score is five hundred and six to… zero."

Morro frowned, though on the inside he was grinning over the fact that he could speak so easily with his teacher after all these years, after everything that had been said and done between them, after they had, in essence, cruelly abandoned each other so long ago…

But, Morro only grumbled, "That doesn't seem like an accurate score."

"Well, we can discuss the score later," Wu chuckled. "Right now, I would like to hear about what could distract you so completely."

Morro drummed his fingers on his knee. He knew he had to answer the question- Master Wu would never let it go- but that didn't make it any easier. If he had a nickel for every time the ninja had told him in quasi-therapy sessions that he needed to "open up" more, he'd be a millionaire- and that was only in three months.

But, Morro had spent a very large part of his life alone. And, the one person he had opened up to _completely_ was sitting in the Departed Realm waiting for him.

But, this was Wu they were talking about…

"Well, the others were wanting to go out today," Morro stated, still drumming his fingers on his knee.

"And, they did not invite you?" Wu guessed. Morro could basically see Wu's lips pressed into a disapproving line even though his sensei was behind him. Wu had made it no secret that he expected his other students to treat Morro as one of their own, prompting the other ninja to insist that they did not need Wu's reminders to do so.

"No, they did," Morro replied, casting his eyes downward. "I said no."

"And, why's that?"

Morro half turned to look at Wu over his shoulder, frustration clear on his face. "You know why."

"Turn around. You're stretching the stitches," Wu ordered, and, with an eye roll, Morro complied. "So, you have been given a second chance at life, and you choose to waste it rotting away in an old temple?"

Morro groaned. " _Obviously_ not, but I also don't want to be chased by angry mobs with pitchforks and torches."

Wu sighed, finally finishing stitching up the wound. Morro stiffened when he felt the hand laid flat against the uninjured part of his back, directly over the Anacondrai shaped scar he'd earned during his brief stint in Chen's torture chamber.

He hated it.

"You have changed immensely," Wu told him solemnly. "Now, prove it."

Morro shook his head. "They don't believe me."

"Then, you must keep trying until they do," Wu told him simply, finally removing his hand from Morro's back and beginning to wrap his wound in gauze. "Seclusion is not the solution."

Morro grunted to show he was listening even if he wasn't fully convinced. After pondering this a moment, he smirked and decided to change the subject.

"Hey, what would you think about me getting a tattoo?" He asked, moving to gesture at a particular spot on his chest. "Right here on the last rib. Something cool."

Wu sighed in exasperation as he tied off the gauze. "I already agreed to the earring. Why do you insist on doing this to me?"

"C'mon, I said it would be cool," Morro repeated, as if the subject matter of the tattoo was the issue. He stood up, grabbing his ruined shirt that had been sitting nearby.

"You know I will not stop you if a tattoo is truly what your heart desires," Wu said, though he made sure his disapproving sigh was audible.

Morro grinned as he headed toward the door. This was part of their healing. Morro asked for permission, and Wu granted it, both knowing Morro had no obligation to ask and Wu had no obligation to agree.

"Eh, I'll think about it," Morro shrugged. "Of course, I no longer trust strangers near my body with sharp objects, so it may just be an unachievable dream."

"Morro."

Morro turned around with his hand on the sliding door, waving off Wu's concern. "I know, I know. I'll go."

Wu smiled and waved a hand at Morro to dismiss him.

* * *

Lloyd had the distinct sense that something bad was going to happen.

Of course, living the crazy lives of ninja that they did, he always had that feeling, but still.

He glanced nervously at Morro carefully keeping his gaze straight ahead as they strolled down the streets of Ninjago City. The former ghost had wasted no time in making minor changes to his appearance. He'd gotten his right ear pierced almost immediately after becoming human again, only taking off the Deepstone earring he'd had custom made during training and fighting. His hair had grown slightly longer, and he rebuffed all of Zane's offers to cut it. He'd even mentioned wanting to get a tattoo.

Though he never said so in so many words, it seemed that after so long of staying the same, he seemed desperate to change, as if to prove to himself that he was really human again.

A passerby shot them a dirty look as they passed. A pair of girls were whispering what were very clearly unkind things to each other from where they were loitering in front of a store. Lloyd knew Morro saw all of them even if he made no indication.

At first people had been enthralled by "the new ninja." The fangirls had had a field day when they discovered that the seventh member of the group seemed not to copy any of the other ninja's personalities either: with his dyed hair, earring, and the scars across his cheek, he was very clearly the "edgy bad boy," causing even the goths and punks that rejected mainstream things to admit that they now had a favorite ninja.

Of course, none of Morro's body beautification had stopped Gayle Gossip and her team of reporters from finally matching a picture of the new ninja with their footage from the ghost invasion when the Preeminent had nearly destroyed Ninjago.

It was _impossible_ , but no one could deny the likeness (and much more impossible things had happened in Ninjago.) The new ninja was Morro, leader of the ghost army that had tried to destroy their homes as they knew it and hurt many, many people in the process, wiping the entire city of Stiix off the face of the planet.

And so, no matter how many times the other ninja vouched for him, he was deserving of the people's intense and eternal hatred. Morro had barely survived being chased by three different mobs, and the hate mail came by the boatload. Finally, the Ninjago Supreme Court declared that Morro could not be tried for the crimes he had committed as a ghost, since there was no way to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were, in fact, the same person. The people were up-in-arms, but the ninja had celebrated (though Morro felt like he was going to throw up even after the ruling had been made.)

In conclusion, Lloyd was glad that Morro had changed his mind about coming on the outing with them.

But, he still felt like something bad was going to happen.

"Hey, you guys want to eat here?" Nya asked, pointing at a restaurant coming up on their side of the street.

" _Anywhere_ ," Cole moaned, holding his stomach as if he was in immense pain. "I'm so _hungry_ …"

Jay elbowed him. "You know, since you say it so much, 'I'm hungry' has lost all meaning for you."

"What?" Cole said, his voice pitched high with disbelief. "Are you saying you guys don't care that I'm literally wasting away over here?"

"That is an incorrect use of the word 'literally,'" Zane pointed out, since Cole was very clearly not wasting away. The black ninja rolled his eyes. "And, the folktale, 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf,' comes to mind with regard to your complaints of hunger, Cole."

"You guys are going to be really upset when I die from hunger one day," Cole threatened, crossing his arms.

"That's about as likely as Nya dying from drowning," Kai pointed out, rolling his eyes. "Now can we _please_ go inside?"

The other ninja agreed, filing into the restaurant. Lloyd, who had been too distracted by all of the hateful looks they were receiving to chime into the semi-ridiculous conversation, held the door open for Morro rather than going in before him, as if he was afraid the wind master was going to get kidnapped if Lloyd turned his back on him. Morro rolled his eyes at the gesture, but he was smiling.

They chose one of the biggest tables in the restaurant that could seat all of seven of them. As the other ninja were animatedly discussing what they were going to order, Lloyd noticed the other patrons in the restaurant already shooting them glares and whispering to each other. A couple seated near them even got up and left.

Morro was picking at one of the black leather bracelets he had taken to wearing.

It was only a matter of time.

The manager of the restaurant, altogether looking too timid and frazzled to be able to manage anything (though that could have just been a result of their presence in his restaurant), came up to their table.

"I-I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he said to the table as a whole, though his gray eyes trailed to Morro who was still picking at the bracelet.

Nya huffed, crossing her arms. "On what grounds?"

"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone," the manager said by way of explanation, glancing once again at Morro. "Without a stated reason."

Morro stood up suddenly, his chair scraping against the ground. The man jumped about a foot in the air and immediately backed up, as if afraid Morro was going to attack him. Morro clenched his fists, and Lloyd knew the manager's terrified reaction hurt more than being thrown out of the restaurant did.

"You guys stay," Morro said, turning toward the door. "I'll go."

The manager seemed relieved until Kai reached out and snagged Morro's wrist. "No way! We're a package deal." Kai turned to Zane sitting next to him. "Is that true that they don't have to serve us?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Zane replied. "Though I find it an improper show of gratitude since I specifically remember saving this restaurant from total destruction during the Stone Warrior invasion."

"I am grateful!" The manager insisted. "Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk- really, I'm not- but if I'm caught with him in my restaurant, I'll lose all my business!"

"It's _fine_ ," Morro replied, tugging on his trapped wrist to get Kai to let go. "I'll leave."

"Yeah, you'd _better_ leave," a waitress who had been watching from behind the counter yelled, stomping over to the table and causing the manager to panic. "How _dare_ you show your face here. How dare you show your face anywhere!

"My nephew lived in Stiix, you know," she stated, coming to stand directly in front of Morro, displaying none of the fear the manager did. "Not only was his home destroyed, but he spent _months_ in the hospital. Months!"

Lloyd stood up, pushing gently on the woman's shoulders. He told her firmly, "That's quite enough, ma'am."

"You're a _monster_!" She yelled as she was pushed away. "I hope you _drop dead_!"

The ninja were on their feet at that comment, ready to give the woman a piece of their mind- but Morro yanked his hand out of Kai's grasp and stormed out of the restaurant.

While the others tried to stop Kai from lighting the place on fire, Lloyd ran out after Morro. Not only was his brother upset, but, after Morro had narrowly escaped his third mob and came home smelling of smoke and rotten fruit, Lloyd had made it his personal responsibility to make sure Morro was never caught out alone again, even if Morro resented the supervision.

His fears were confirmed moments later when he caught up to Morro.

The wind master was leaning against a building, clutching his eye. A rock sat on the ground right beside him, seemingly harmless now. Lloyd turned to see a group of pre-teens across the street quickly drop the rocks they had been holding and run off at the sight of the Green Ninja.

"Morro, are you alright?" He asked, though part of him wished he could run after the kids that had done this and see how they liked rocks being thrown at them.

"I'm fine," Morro muttered, just as he had in the restaurant. It seemed to be the only thing he could say nowadays, _"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine_ ," as if he wanted so badly to become accustomed to the abuse that he finally believed he was.

Lloyd tugged at the hand hiding the injury. "Well, at least let me see-"

"I said, I'm fine!" Morro snapped, turning away from Lloyd. "I'm going home. You guys go on without me."

Lloyd clenched his fists. He demanded, "Why- _Why_ is that always your solution? We're willing to put up with this until they see, Morro, so why aren't you?"

Morro finally moved his hand so he could glare at Lloyd properly. There was a cut on his temple, and his right eye was already darkening with a bruise.

"Because, they're _right,_ and you _know_ it!" Morro retorted.

Lloyd straightened with surprise, but the other ninja ran up behind him before he could respond.

"Morro, are you- woah, what happened?!" Cole exclaimed upon seeing the black eye Morro had somehow earned between here and the restaurant.

Kai stomped forward. "Who did this to you?" He asked, clearly still raring for a fight after barely being restrained in the restaurant. "We'll get them back."

"It doesn't matter," Morro mumbled, turning away almost as if he was ashamed of the bruise- just like he was ashamed of all the other scars on his body. "I'm going home."

"Obviously, we're coming with you," Nya stated. "These places don't deserve our service anyway."

The comment didn't make Morro feel better, and he started walking away without waiting for the others to follow.

"Zane?" Jay whispered as they followed their upset teammate.

"Morro seems to have only a minor contusion. I sense no head injury," the nindroid replied. "Black eyes usually appear worse than they are."

"That doesn't make it better," Kai grumbled, crossing his arms.

While he was semi-grateful to be walking behind Morro so he could keep an eye on him, Lloyd wished the wind master wasn't always turning his back to them when they were only trying to help.

* * *

 **Aw, poor Morro D': So, this chapter was more or less introductory, but don't worry! The plot will be set into motion very soon! ;D**

 **What did you guys think? Is this what you were expecting from Forgotten Memory? Please let me know! :D**

 **And, I will still update Getting to Know You periodically, though I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out as of right now :D**

 **Have a great day! :D**


	2. Ticking Time Bomb

**WOW! You guys are WAY WAY WAY too kind to me! I was so surprised and overjoyed when I saw the response the first chapter got! Honestly, I was afraid everyone would have forgotten about this story by the time I actually got around to posting it! ^-^; I'll never be able to express the depth of my gratitude for all of your incredibly nice reviews! :D**

 **Special thanks to: TheKittenQueen, FullMetalPon-3, RandomDragon2.0, Captain Ninjago, iNeedCoffiee, ABCSKW123-IX, GwenBrightly, Breeze015, Katla1, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, FirstFandomFangirl, peachy. heart. xin2004, GameCubeGirl1, Peanut2196, Inimidesert, PrairieSkies, Ebony umbreon, GalcticD0nuts, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, Plumcicle, Wolfjem, 3, Fxreflies, LeUltimateNerd, DarkRed101, Rick Riordan1, and KyraPlays for reviewing! I love you all! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **TheYellowNinja: Aw, you are so sweet! I was so nervous, so that really means a lot to me! :3 I'm glad you like the detail of Morro making minor changes to his appearance! I just thought the image of Morro with an earring was sooo adorable :3 Right, it's sad because you can see both the ninja's and the civilians' side of the issue D': Poor Morro! D': I promise once I finish the story that I will go to twice a week updates! Just with school, I only have limited time to write, so I need to pace my updates until I finish :/ I'm sorry! I'm so glad you squealed with joy! XD I hope you like this next chapter too! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: I love your name! :D Haha, I loved reading through the little story of you discovering the first chapter XD Ooh, and you caught the fact that each story starts with the same first line! I thought it was a fun little detail :3 Morro definitely needs snuggles D': (Though he would never let himself be snuggled- unless he was stung by a giant scorpion... XD) Thank you so much for all your wonderful compliments! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Haha, I hope they're tasty! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **3: Haha! Thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Aw, your review really made my day! It makes me so incredibly to happy to know I inspire you to post your work! Please do! AND, I should write for the show!? That is a HUGE honor and way too kind! Thank you so so much for this lovely review! :D**

* * *

"Hey, Morro," Kai greeted as he entered his brother's room, tapping his knuckles softly on the door.

Morro had, understandably, stomped into his room and slammed the door behind him as soon as they reentered the Airjitzu Temple, much to Wu's disappointment. The others had wisely left him alone, but seeing as it was dinner time now, Kai had volunteered to retrieve the wind master from his sulking.

Morro was sitting on the floor and leaning against his bed frame, playing the newest version of _Sweet Smash_ on his phone if the sound effects were any indication. The eye that had darkened to a ghastly black-purple color invited a burning flash of anger in Kai, but seeing as he had no idea who the perpetrators were, he had to let it go.

"Dinner," he said.

"Eh, I'm not hungry," Morro replied without looking up from his beloved cell phone. Though Morro was the absolute worst at texting and seemed hesitant to explore the Internet, Kai had to admit he was a boss at app games. "But, thanks."

Kai sighed, stepping further into the room. He couldn't help by marvel at the cleanliness of Morro's room. At first, he taken Morro for the type who wouldn't care about the state of his room, if not a total slob. But, Morro kept his room so neat it was almost obsessive; one could bounce a coin off the bed, it was tucked in so tightly.

He sat beside Morro on the immaculate floor, also leaning against the bed frame. Peering over his brother's shoulder, he watched Morro play Sweet Smash and waited for the wind master to acknowledge his presence.

Morro did not.

"Morro," Kai said, poking him in the shoulder. "Moooorro."

"I'm listening," Morro replied.

"Not if you're still playing that game," Kai replied irritably. He moved his hand in front of Morro's face to block his vision.

"Hey!" Morro exclaimed, leaning out of Kai's reach so he could see the screen again. "Quit it! I'm on a roll!"

Resorting to drastic measures, Kai pulled out his own phone- and dialled Morro's number.

Not a moment later, a simple black screen (since Morro refused to take the time to set up photos on everyone's caller IDs) with the word 'Kai' on it interrupted Morro's game.

Morro pressed his lips together in frustration but, realizing he was fighting a losing battle, turned to Kai. "Fine. You have my attention. What is so important?"

"I already told you!" Kai groaned in exasperation. "It's dinnertime! And, don't say you're not hungry, because you need to eat and I'm going to make sure that you do."

Morro rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever."

"And, about today…"

Morro stiffened, turning away slightly. "What about it?"

Kai hesitated, feeling more self-conscious now. "You know… You know if I had gotten there in time, I wouldn't have let those guys get away with hurting you, right?"

Morro was quiet for a minute before pushing himself to his feet. "It was just some kids. One lucky shot. It doesn't matter."

Kai jumped to his feet as well, grabbing Morro's elbow before he could walk out of the room. "But, it _does_ matter."

Morro glanced over his shoulder, his black eye in full view for a moment, before he turned back to the front and started walking away again. Kai let him go.

"No," he said, passing through the doorway. "It doesn't."

* * *

"And, finished!" Cole exclaimed, giving his bubbling pot of stew one last loving stir before pulling it off the stove altogether and carrying it over to the dining table where the rest of his family was waiting (however reluctantly) to be served. "I call it, Chicken Noodle Surprise!"

The… _concoction_ , when ladeled into the soup bowls, was a mix between gray and brown and still bubbling despite not being on the burner anymore. The other ninja, Wu, and Misako poked questioningly at their meals while Cole was nearly bursting in anticipation of their _surely_ nothing but complimentary reviews.

"I'm sorry, Cole, but… I detect no chicken in this," Zane stated first, having searched thoroughly through the gray mass that, having cooled ever marginally, had congealed into something resembling tofu.

"Or, noodles," Nya added, frowning as she tapped her spoon against her own meal- that seemed to be hardening into an impenetrable shell.

"What's the surprise?" Kai demanded. "Food poisoning?"

"Ah!" Lloyd yelped, dropping his spoon on the table with a clatter. "Mine just hissed at me!"

" _This_ is what you insisted I come out of my room for?" Morro said crossly as he glared at Kai.

"You know, you guys could stand to be a little more grateful," Cole pointed out, puffing his cheeks out with hurt. "I worked hard on this!"

"We appreciate the effort, Cole, but _come on_ ," Jay said with a helpless gesture at the meal as if the problem was self-explanatory (and it really should have been.) "I mean, this is worse than the prison food we ate in-"

Jay cut himself off with a squeak when Nya kicked him _hard_ in the shin under the table.

And, that's when Jay realized his mistake: in the alternate timeline, Nadakhan had used his djinn magic to frame the ninja for crimes they never committed, which led to their wrongful imprisonment in Kryptarium Prison.

But, to everyone save him and Nya, none of that had ever happened. The ninja had never been to prison.

"Prison food?" Morro repeated, glancing curiously at the rest of the ninja. "You guys went to prison? Wow, my respect for you just increased tenfold."

"No, we did not go to prison," Zane corrected, frowning in confusion and perhaps a little concern for Jay's mental health. "At least, I have never been. I suppose Jay could have been arrested individually without my knowledge."

"What were you in for, Jay?" Cole asked teasingly. "Did your inventions destroy something? Disturbing the peace? Being a huge pain in the neck?"

"That is not a real crime, Cole," Zane reminded his brother unhelpfully from the other end of the table, eliciting yet another eye roll from the black ninja.

"I-It was just a… a slip of the tongue, guys!" Jay insisted, laughing nervously. "I just meant this is worse than prison food! _All_ prison food! Not prison food that was specifically eaten by us or me- _ever_ \- but just, you know, prison food in general, because prison food has a reputation of being disgusting like Cole's cooking!"

"Okay, no matter how _weird_ Jay is acting, he's right that this is absolutely disgusting and completely inedible," Kai agreed, and both Jay and Nya slumped imperceptibly with relief that the attention had been diverted from Jay's screw-up.

Cole looked imploringly at Zane. "C'mon, you're not going to correct Kai for saying my food is _inedible_ when that's obviously not true?"

"I'm sorry, Cole, but I have determined that your food really is inedible."

"The nindroid has spoken!" Kai declared. "And, you know what that means!"

"Pizza!" Jay, Lloyd, and Nya cheered.

"Well, _I'm_ not going to pick it up," Cole grumbled, crossing his arms and turning away slightly. "If you guys want pizza so badly, someone else can go pick it up."

"I'll go," Lloyd offered good-naturedly, swallowing his grin for Cole's sake.

"I'll go with you," Kai volunteered, standing up from the table.

"To show you how much I appreciate your effort, Cole, I will wash the dishes for you," Zane comforted, scrutinizing the "meal" warily. "Also because I am afraid contact with this may harm someone with human skin."

When Cole deflated further, Jay placed a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, don't be like that! We can play video games while we wait! You can even be first player."

Cole perked up at that. "Hey, that's true. Morro, you've never played Fist to Face 2, right?"

Morro, who had been playing with the gelatinous gray mass that was originally meant to be his dinner, looked up and made a face. "Fist to Face? What kind of name is that?"

"C'mon, you'll love it!" Cole exclaimed, standing and all but lifting Morro out of his chair as he dragged his brother to the game room.

Nya looked over at Jay, meaning to share an affectionate eye roll before joining the two in the game room-

But then, she saw the expression on Jay's face, where he was still looking at where Cole had been sitting. It was a small frown of consternation or maybe…

Jay shook himself out of his reverie and smiled at Nya. "Yeah, let's go!"

* * *

"Let's see, you're the only one who likes jalapeños, so I guess we can get half a pizza with that-"

"Lloyd."

"And Cole will eat anything so we don't have to worry about him… But, I think Jay only likes pepperoni-"

"Lloyd."

"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what kind Morro likes. Has he ever had it before? I guess he'll-"

" _Lloyd_!"

The Green Ninja jumped slightly, this being the first time he had heard his name called, and he turned to look at Kai, who was glaring at him as they walked toward the pizza place. "What?"

"Can you just slow down for like _two_ seconds?" Kai said, nudging his baby brother playfully. "If you don't chill, you're going to pop a blood vessel."

Lloyd frowned. "I am chill."

"Yeah, and I'm a world champion swimmer," Kai replied. "C'mon, Lloyd, you've been stressed since everyone found out about Morro. And, you know, about today. We're alone. You can be honest."

Lloyd stubbornly held Kai's gaze for a moment longer before sighing- and seeming to let a weight slide from his shoulders.

"You know it's not that I don't want Morro here," Lloyd prefaced, already studying the cracks in the sidewalk as if ashamed. "I care about him- really."

"I know. Me too," Kai reassured to prompt Lloyd to continue.

"But, no one can deny that things are… harder now. I'm constantly worried he's going to get hurt- like he did today," Lloyd admitted, nervously smoothing down hair. "And, what about when we go on a mission? Everyone hating Morro is going to make it harder for us to protect them. They won't listen to him. They might even try to interfere if he gets into a fight and put themselves in harm's way."

Kai nodded. As much as he wished he could grab all the citizens of Ninjago by the throat and shake them until they understood that Morro had changed so much he barely resembled the ghost that had terrorized them, as much as he wanted to make them look at the scars Morro had earned protecting _them_ … he knew the only thing that was going to work was time. Right now, everything that Lloyd had said… was true.

"But, Master Wu wouldn't let me leave Morro behind while we went on a mission," Lloyd continued. "And, I think it would really hurt Morro's feelings. And then maybe-"

Lloyd cut himself off, shaking his head. "Never mind."

Kai balked, elbowing his brother. "You really think I'm going to let you off that easy? C'mon, we're in a safe place. I don't judge, and you know I won't tell anyone else."

Lloyd looked at Kai pleadingly, begging to be let off the hook. Kai didn't budge.

Lloyd sighed. "When I was at Darkley's, I… obviously wasn't very cut out for evil," he began sheepishly, and Kai smiled fondly as he remembered Lloyd's 'evil' acts of stealing candy and just generally being annoying. "But, you know, my dad was evil, my mom clearly wanted me to be evil if she left me there, and all the teachers and the others kids told me to be evil. So, I thought I _was_ evil, or at least that I should be.

"So, the more people hate Morro and call him a monster…"

Realization finally dawned on Kai. "He'll start to believe it." He looked at Lloyd, who was biting his lip nervously. "You're afraid he might just say 'screw this,' and start his reign of terror. Or, I guess his _second_ reign of terror."

Lloyd cringed but nodded. "I mean, how can I lead this team when I feel like I have a ticking time bomb on it?"

Before Kai could respond, Lloyd groaned. "Ugh, we had this exact same conversation before we went into the Departed Realm last time. I'm the worst."

"Oh, stop it. You're not the worst," Kai laughed, shoving Lloyd playfully. "You're right about everything you said, okay? You have every right to be worried about that."

Lloyd blinked up at Kai. "Really? It doesn't make me a jerk?"

"No, it doesn't make you a jerk," Kai reassured immediately, since the very notion of Lloyd being anything more than the perfectly gentle soul that he was was ridiculous. "Look, there's nothing we can do about everyone else. Once people find something else to freak out about, they'll get over it. The only thing we can do to make sure Morro doesn't go back to evil is be there for him. Make sure he knows that, no matter what everybody else says, he's got us, you know?"

Lloyd pursed his lips. He knew he and Kai couldn't fix the entire problem in one trip to the pizza place, especially since there really was nothing to _fix_ , but the dissatisfaction sat like a rock in his stomach. Still, finally admitting his fears to someone else had been a huge relief.

"Yeah. I know," Lloyd agreed, nodding. "But, please don't tell anyone. Especially not Morro. We have enough deep-seated issues as it is."

"Obviously not," Kai said, grabbing Lloyd in a headlock. "None of this ever leaves this… sidewalk."

Lloyd laughed, trying to struggle out of Kai's grasp. "Good. Now about the pizza…"

* * *

"Morro, you died _again_?!" Cole exclaimed in disbelief. "That has to be, like, twenty seven times!"

"Well, what do you expect?!" Morro replied frustratedly, jabbing at the buttons on the controller in a completely random pattern. "I have no idea how this game works! You just threw the controller at me and said 'let's play' without explaining the rules!"

"It's called getting hands on experience."

"It's _called_ you enjoy watching me die. Which is just sick."

As Cole and Morro continued to bicker, Jay watched the two with a scowl on his face from where he and Nya were sharing a beanbag behind them. While watching Morro die had been entertaining the first twenty six times, why didn't it occur to either of them that someone _else_ might want a turn? Granted, Jay hadn't spoken up, and he _was_ rather comfortable with Nya on the beanbag, but still-

"What's the matter, Jay?" Nya asked with a frown of concern.

Jay jumped, not realizing his thoughts had been showing on his face. "Huh? Nothing! Just hungry. How long does it take Kai and Lloyd to get pizza anyway?"

Nya fixed Jay with a pointed look. "Jay. C'mon, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing!" Jay insisted, trying to laugh off her worry, though it came out more nervous than he would have liked. "Really."

Zane walked in at that moment, apparently having finished the dishes. He sat on the beanbag beside Jay and Nya, eyebrows raised with surprise. "Wow, Morro and Cole are still playing together? I would have thought you would have switched by now, especially considering you and Cole always play Fist to Face 2 together, Jay."

Zane's observation was the pinnacle of innocence, but Nya made a sound of realization and Jay wanted to throttle the nindroid.

Nya began, "Jay-"

"Pizza's here!" They heard Kai call from the front door of the Airjitzu Temple.

"Oh, look, pizza's here!" Jay repeated nervously, leaping from the beanbag and quickly escaping into the hallway to avoid Nya's scrutiny.

Though, of course, he still heard Cole say, "Wow, Morro, you only died _twelve_ more times in the span of two minutes! You must really be improving!"

And then, Morro grumble, "I hate this game."

Jay wiped the frown off his face before anybody else could ask after his emotional state. Pizza, surely, would get rid of the gross feeling inside him.

* * *

 **Uh oh, Jay's being evasive again... (per usual XD)**

 **Also, I probably had waaay too much fun writing out Cole's epic fail at cooking XD**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! I promise (again) that the plot is getting started veeeery soon ;D Thank you so much for reading! Have a great day! :D**


	3. Too Late

**You guys are way too kind to me! In two chapters, Forgotten Memory has more reviews than "Four Times Cole Helped the Guys with a Nightmare" with five chapters XD That is just incredible to me, so thank you all so much for all your support and kind words! I really hope you guys enjoy this story! :D**

 **Special thanks to Breeze015, RandomDragon2.0, FullMetalPon-3, TheKittenQueen, Inimidesert, GameCubeGirl1, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, GalacticD0nuts, Fxreflies, Katla1, NinjagoGeek4EVER, thefiresensai, sunflower. peach, Peanut2196, KyraPlays, DarkRed101, TheYellowNinja, SpiritDragon, Plumcicle, Guest, ColeLoverGirl, Perosn, kookie1234, and Rick Riordan1 for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yay, I'm so glad you liked the scene with Cole's cooking, because I loved writing it! XD Lloyd certainly has a right to be concerned, and you're right in that nothing good ever comes of an evasive Jay! XD Aw, thanks for understanding about school! It makes me SO happy to know you're excited for my updates! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Poor Cole! Loves food but can't cook to save his life XD Lloyd is a gentle little soul :3 Haha, I'm sorry you were so tense during the trip to the pizza place XD We'll explore Jay's situation more this chapter! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Jelly Jay has certainly returned! XD I'm glad you're just as excited about him being here as I am XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: Morro... stubborn until the end XD And, writing about the horrible thing Cole created was soooo much fun XD Ah, yes, Skybound is certainly a thing that will come up ;D Aww, of course Lloyd would be able to rattle off everyone's pizza topping preferences :3 Jay? Doing something that's not good for him? That doesn't sound like him at all... XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: I think we've all been where Jay is with the video games XD Aww, thanks for not forgetting about my little story :3 That means a lot to me! :D Burning the water? Yep, that sounds like me XD Jay, you can only get away with so many Skybound mess ups... ;D The plot is getting rolling! I'm sooo happy that you're so excited for my updates! You are so nice! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Perosn: Aw, thank you so much! That means the world to me! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Stop, you are NOT scum, especially if you leave reviews as nice as this! Cole deserves to be in EVERYONE'S top three! XD I'm so happy you're liking the story so far! Yeah, I usually prefer to write most of my story before I post too, so I understand. But, keep writing and never stop! Oh my gosh, you are waaay too kind! Oh, and thanks for the suggestion! "Goddess of Diet Coke?!" I love that! XD They really should just ban Cole from the kitchen XD Aw, I'm so glad you liked Morro's Five Times! AND, you cried?! That makes me so happy! XD And, the fact that you think I accomplish all of a writer's purposes just really means a lot to me :D Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Zane's or Nya's Five Times! Ooh, and I LOVE your idea for a Five Times about Wu! Thank you SO MUCH for this INCREDIBLY nice review! You are so amazingly kind, so thank you for all of your wonderful compliments! :D  
**

* * *

The next morning, Zane was heading to the Ninjago City Library alone. Nya or sometimes Jay usually accompanied him to the library, but they seemed caught up in some odd game of cat and mouse. Jay had been avoiding Nya for whatever reason, using Kai or Lloyd as a shield, while Nya seemed only to want to get him alone. Morro and Cole had been off doing something or other and unable to help Jay with his strange objectives.

Zane sighed aloud as he walked. He thought, once again, that he should have at least invited Morro along. Even though he was 99.875% positive that Morro would have turned down the offer, he had been too afraid of the .125% chance that he would say yes.

He cared for Morro as much as any one of his brothers, that much was true, but if Morro had accompanied him to the library, Zane knew they wouldn't have made it halfway there before the citizens of Ninjago City would have forced them to turn around. Still, Zane reprimanded himself. The gesture had been what had mattered to ensure that Morro knew they were not going to exclude him despite his less than savory reputation.

Zane tried to let the worry go as he came upon the library. Sure, he was a nindroid, but he couldn't be expected to always know the perfect course of action, now could he?

Attempting to shake off the guilt that still clung to him, he entered the library. Passing a sign that said, "Please silence your cellphones," Zane pulled out his white cell phone… and paused. What if the others needed him?

No, surely not. There hadn't been an attack on Ninjago City in months! Besides, he couldn't be expected to _never_ go into the library because there _might_ be an urgent phone call.

Sure in his course of action, Zane turned his phone off and went in search of books he hadn't read yet.

* * *

"All I'm saying is that there's got to be something we can do to show people you've changed," Cole said, scrutinizing his letter tiles before placing two on the board. "Ha, 'boat' with 'o' on the double letter. That's seven points for me!"

Sensei Yang chuckled. Even though the other ninja were aware of his presence, he preferred not to be at the epicenter of the temple, especially considering at least Jay was still afraid of him, and so the three of them were sitting on the floor of the attic. Laying down his own tiles, he named his word, "'Chat.' Nine points."

Then, in response to Cole's initial claim, he said, "People revel in the opportunity to hate something. They live for the drama. That being said, actions speak louder than words. If Morro were to save the city, for example, at least some of the people would be sure to change their opinions of him."

"They still wouldn't believe me," Morro stated. "They'd think I was only doing it so they'd like me instead of really trying to be good." He sighed regretfully, "And, I have…"

He smirked, slapping down his tiles triumphantly. "'Zip' on triple word! That's forty five points for me," he declared.

"Oh, c'mon!" Cole complained, slapping his hand to his face. "This will be the third game in a row you've won!"

"What can I say?" Morro shrugged. "I'm like a watching dictionary."

"Either way, it's your turn, Cole. And, please try to come up with something better than 'boat' so we don't lose by such a large margin this time," Sensei Yang sighed good-naturedly, eliciting an indignant scoff from Cole. "And, as to what we were discussing before, I don't think you should be so hung up on what the public thinks of you. I find that the love of your family and the love of yourself are most important. The rest will follow."

Cole nodded, though he was dismayed to find that Morro was picking at the leather bracelet on his wrist, clearly unconvinced.

"Perhaps if I had had either," Yang continued, glancing back and forth between both humans. "I wouldn't have done what I did with the Yin Blade and trapped myself here."

Cole looked at Morro. He couldn't help but wonder that if Morro had had either, he wouldn't have been so dead set on finding the First Spinjitzu Master's Tomb in the first place.

Cole had just begun to reorganize his letter tiles- when the alarm went off, startling all three of them.

"Sorry, Sensei Yang," Cole said as he and Morro jumped to their feet. "We'll have to finish the game another time."

"Go on," Yang told them. His tone was more jovial than bitter when he said, "I'll still be here when you get back."

Cole smiled and hurried down the staircase with Morro right behind… until he paused.

"Thanks," Morro threw over his shoulder before joining Cole on the floor below them.

Sensei Yang smiled before disappearing once again.

* * *

"Jay!" Nya snapped, finally able to corner her boyfriend on his way back from the bathroom. Ever since she had put two and two together yesterday, Jay had made sure to always be in the presence of Kai and/or Lloyd, knowing Nya wouldn't embarrass him by bringing up the issue in front of them.

Of course, she had considered it, since she was getting desperate.

Jay glanced nervously over Nya's shoulder, as if determining what the best escape route was. "Nya, it's really no big deal…"

"If it's no big deal, then why can't you just admit you're jealous of Cole and Morro?" She demanded, crossing her arms.

"Jealous?" Jay sputtered, since the very notion that he could be _jealous_ was downright _laughable_. "I'm not jealous."

"Jay, c'mon," Nya groaned. "It's understandable. Cole has been spending a lot of time with Morro… and less time with you. I think if you just talked to him about how you're feeling-"

"Nya, it seriously doesn't bother me," Jay insisted, laughing nervously. "Besides, even if it _did_ \- which it doesn't- but if it did, guys don't talk about stuff like that."

"Oh, really?" Nya raised an eyebrow. "Tell me: how did you and Cole fix your friendship when you two were fighting over me?"

"Well, we were going to fight and then we ended up talking… about it…"

"Hm."

"Well, that's different!" Jay exclaimed. "That was over a girl! This is… nothing! It's about nothing."

Nya frowned. "Jay-"

They both jumped when a screeching sound filled the air and the lights they had rigged throughout the hallways started flashing red.

 _Saved by the bell_ , Jay thought with a huge sigh of relief as both of them rushed down the hallway toward the main room of the Airjitzu Temple. That relief dissipated almost as quickly as it arrived as he realized that it was the _alarm_ sounding- meaning there was trouble perilous enough to require the ninja's assistance.

"What's happening?" Nya asked as they joined Lloyd in front of the computer screens. Kai was in the corner of the room, his red cell phone pressed to one ear while his unoccupied hand plugged the other, trying to listen in spite of the blaring alarm.

"While I'm grateful they're not some supernatural, invincible beings for once, this isn't much better," Lloyd explained without tearing his eyes away from the screen. "Radical protesters- terrorists, really. They blew up part of the Ninjago Supreme Court building."

"What are they protesting?" Morro asked as he and Cole entered the room.

"Um," Lloyd shut off the alarm, glancing at Morro only once before averting his eyes once again. "The ruling that said you couldn't be tried for any of the crimes you committed as a ghost."

Morro tried to keep the emotion from showing on his face, but they noticed him picking at the leather bracelet on his wrist. "Oh."

"Hey, where's Zane?" Cole asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

"I can't get a hold of him," Kai replied, rejoining the group and putting his phone away. "His phone must be turned off."

"We'll have to do without him," Lloyd said, gesturing toward the door. "C'mon, I'll explain the rest on the way."

* * *

"There's only three of them," Lloyd explained to his team, sans Zane, where they were crouched on a rooftop of Ninjago City. The entire city was gripped by panic; the streets were teeming with civilians as the police tried to evacuate them, sirens screaming on every corner, and smoke was still rising from the half collapsed Ninjago Supreme Court Building. He pointed at a map of the city as a visual aide. "The police have established a perimeter and are certain that they are hiding out somewhere within that perimeter. The bigger problem, though, is that they've planted more bombs within the perimeter as well.

"Nya, I sent you a picture of one of the bombs the police recovered. Do you think you can disable them?"

The water ninja studied her cell phone before nodding confidently. "Definitely."

"Good. You and Kai are going to comb the area, finding and disabling the bombs- and containing the explosions if we don't make it in time," Lloyd ordered, earning two nods in response from the two ninja. "Jay, Cole, we're going to catch the bad guys. You two start from the west, I'll start from the east, and when they run, we'll drive them toward the middle."

"What about me?" Morro asked. After all, it only made sense that if Jay and Cole started from the west, then both he and Lloyd should start from the east. That way it would be even, and everyone would have someone watching their back.

"Morro, you're going to get to the top of the Borg Tower and make sure that no one breaks through the police perimeter."

Morro's jaw dropped. " _Seriously_? _Look out_? You know I can do way more-"

"This is the plan, Morro," Lloyd interrupted, folding up his map and standing up.

The others stood up as well, Morro still looking at Lloyd incredulously. "Lloyd, put me on the ground with you-"

"Look, when you joined this team, you said you recognized me as the leader. Didn't you?"

Morro sputtered. "Well, _yes_ , but-"

"So, are you going to do your job?"

Morro and Lloyd glared at each other for a tense moment. Finally, Morro looked away and muttered through gritted teeth. "Yes."

"Then, let's go, ninja," Lloyd announced before running and climbing down the side of the building.

The others weren't exactly sure how to deal with the awkwardness, especially considering Lloyd rarely demonstrated his superiority so blatantly, but before anybody could offer Morro words of sympathy, he was running toward Borg Tower, intent on doing his task however unwillingly.

* * *

"I can't believe Lloyd sidelined Morro like that," Cole commented to Jay as they sprinted through the streets of Ninjago City, looking up when they heard a noise only to realize that they were civilians being evacuated rather than the perpetrators themselves. "I mean, he is one of our best fighters. Not to mention we kind of need all the help we can get."

"I trust Lloyd's judgment," Jay replied, scanning the alleyways they were passing for their targets. They were heading toward the most western border of the perimeter that had a radius of about two hundred and fifty feet.

"Well, I'm not saying I don't," Cole disclaimed, vaulting over a mailbox. "But, you know, it just doesn't seem very fair."

"Are you saying you wanted to be teamed up with him?" Jay asked, swallowing the unspoken part of the question. _Instead of me?_

"Well, not necessarily. I think he would have preferred anything to look out, though."

Jay frowned, safe in the knowledge that his blue ninja hood disguised his expression. That wasn't exactly the reassurance he had been looking for.

"And, if you think about it, Morro's wind powers could have come in handy when dealing with the smoke-"

"Look, can we just be quiet? I'm trying to focus," Jay snapped. So, Cole was always spending time with Morro and when he _wasn't_ he _still_ talked about him? Was it so much to ask for conversation that _didn't_ have to do with Morro?

Cole recoiled, falling behind Jay out of shock, before speeding up to match his gait again. "Okay, that seemed kind of uncalled for. Did I do something?"

"No," Jay answered quickly, guilt rushing into him for snapping at his best friend for, really, doing nothing. But, wasn't that the problem? Cole did _nothing_ with him anymore; Jay couldn't remember the last time they had hung out together just the two of them. "No, it's fine. Just- worried about Zane. You know, he might be caught up in all this if he came here in the morning."

"Oh, geez, I hadn't thought about that!" Cole exclaimed, slapping his hand to his forehead. Jay released a miniature sigh of relief that he had successfully diverted Cole's attention. "As soon as we round up these guys, we need to find him."

"Yeah," Jay agreed. Cole wouldn't forget about Zane, but he imagined that, as soon as everyone was home and safe, Morro would want to vent to Cole about more or less being left behind and Cole suggesting some activity to get his mind off of it.

Jay loved Morro, he really did, but the little, selfish part of his mind whispered that he might not have been so keen to encourage Morro to become human again if he knew doing so would cause him to lose his best friend.

* * *

"So, where do you want to go on Tuesday?" Kai asked as he and Nya rushed to check yet another building over for bombs. They'd already disabled three, all without any more explosions, but they had no way of knowing how many there were in total until the others had the bad guys in custody.

"Tuesday?" Nya repeated in confusion as she searched the face of the movie theater. All the bombs so far had been placed on the outside of the building, confirming that the protesters were going for statement rather than body count. "What's on Tuesday?"

"Um, _hello_? Mom's birthday?" Kai asked as if it were obvious- and to him, it probably was.

"Oh. Right," Nya confirmed distractedly. "Um, I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

Honestly, Nya wasn't really sure the occasion required an outing. Sure, Day of the Departed made sense, and so did Father's Day and Mother's Day, but weren't those enough? Besides, Nya more or less only went to support Kai. Though not having a father or mother stung, it was a different sting from missing the ones she had had, like Kai did.

"You know Mom's favorite was pasta," Kai said, though she had forgotten. "I mean, you still want to go out, right?"

Nya looked at Kai. She didn't want to, really. After so many years of wishing she had had what every other kid seemed to have, she was ready to move on.

But, Kai wasn't.

"Yeah, Kai," Nya confirmed as she jogged by him to check the next building. "Of course I do."

* * *

Morro was fuming as he scaled the outside of Borg Tower. Not only was he afraid he wouldn't be allowed into the building to use the elevator, but climbing up the side at least helped him feel not _quite_ so useless.

How could Lloyd give him such a transparently needless job? _Make sure no one broke through the perimeter_? What were the police for? What was the _perimeter_ for if someone broke through it? Besides, with so many bombs and three different terrorists to catch, they _clearly_ needed another man on the ground.

Morro wasn't so humble to think he was just as good as any of the other ninja. He knew he could beat all of the others in combat, and if he couldn't beat Lloyd, he could certainly hold his own against the Green Ninja. And, since that was true, Lloyd _should not have_ relegated him to the outskirts of the battle.

So it came down to trust. Lloyd didn't trust Morro to have his back. It was painfully obvious- _painfully_. Lloyd had called Morro his brother, and yet sent him away at the first sign of trouble, and _that_ was what hurt.

Morro grunted as he finally pulled himself up onto the roof of the building. He settled himself on the edge, looking down at the city as he tried to catch his breath. He could clearly make out Lloyd's _precious_ police perimeter that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on, rife with police cars and crowds of people in black and navy outfits. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he focused on a speck of green sprinting across the rooftops, and in front of that, a grayish speck that Morro could only assume was one of the protesters.

As much as Morro hated it, as much as he disagreed with Lloyd's decision, and as much as he wanted to challenge Lloyd's leadership (or even prove that _he_ could do better), he would never act on those desires. He had submitted to Lloyd's leadership, and Morro respected him too much to undermine him (though, that respect had been put to the test after Lloyd made such a _stupid_ decision.)

Besides, after everything he had done to Lloyd, after everything Lloyd had forgiven him for, he couldn't go back on his word without causing an even more serious rift between them. No matter how much Lloyd claimed his possession was behind them, Morro couldn't help but feel like he constantly _owed_ Lloyd something. Like the scars on his face, he was going to have to live with everything he had done for the rest of his life.

Morro threw a pebble off the rooftop. Well, he could still be mad about it.

He listened to the others making status reports over the comms, and he almost wanted to make some snarky remark. _All clear up here. Maybe I should move higher up to get a better vantage point. Would the moon be a sufficient distance, Lloyd, or would you prefer the surface of the sun?_ But, he managed to bite his tongue.

He entertained himself by watching the green speck that was Lloyd sprinting over the rooftops in pursuit of the criminal. The guy barely managed to make a jump across a narrow alleyway, a distance Lloyd could clear easily. The green speck leapt and was clearly going to land on the neighboring rooftop-

Morro could hear the explosion- however quietly- at the top of Borg Tower.

The rooftop- and Lloyd- was engulfed in black smoke.

" _Lloyd_!" He shouted before he could stop himself. Wasting no time, Morro started climbing down Borg Tower, even knowing he was already too late.

* * *

" _I have one guy. Jay's tying up the other,_ " Cole reported over the comm.

"I'm in pursuit of the last one," Lloyd said back as he sprinted over the rooftops. Unfortunately, the last terrorist had spotted Lloyd before Lloyd spotted him and thought it best to escape over the rooftops. Lloyd had wasted no time in following, but the guy had a good ten second head start- that was slowly but surely narrowing. "Meet in the middle like we planned."

" _Nya and I are pretty sure we defused all the bombs_ ," Kai announced.

"Jay, Cole, interrogate the two guys you have and see if you can get them to tell you how many bombs there were in total," Lloyd ordered. "Just to be safe."

" _Got it_ ," Jay confirmed.

Lloyd huffed as he tried to catch up to the criminal. He wasn't naïve or arrogant; he knew his job would have been easier if he had had another ninja on his team so they could corner him, rather than playing this stupid game of tag. First of all, the thought made him worry about Zane. He could very well have been caught up in all this, and Lloyd was terrified that he was damaged- which was doubly worse, because anybody who tried to fix him risked worsening the problem, since Jay or Nya were really the only ones qualified to repair him.

Second of all… well, Lloyd was very aware of the fact that Morro hadn't spoken over the comm. He wanted to believe it was because Morro simply didn't know how (he had struggled with simpler pieces of technology. The Microwave Fiasco came to mind) but he knew it was because Morro was mad at him.

Thinking back on it, Lloyd felt bad for snapping at Morro like he had. The hurt had been evident on the wind master's face, but what else could Lloyd do? The city was still crawling with random pockets of civilians that had yet to be evacuated for some reason or another. Just like he had explained to Kai, Lloyd couldn't spare the brain power on being worried that they might attack Morro or interfere with his mission and put themselves in danger when his own mission required his full attention.

Besides, the terrorists had been protesting the decision that spared Morro from going to trial for the crimes he had committed as a ghost. What if Morro had been the true target all along? What if they only wanted to lure the ninja here to get rid of the one that had so unfairly escaped judgment? No, Lloyd had made the right decision by keeping Morro out of harm's way.

Still… Lloyd knew how hard it had been for Morro to accept that he was not the one in charge, and Lloyd had been truly touched when Morro had so earnestly told him that he would follow him. Lloyd shouldn't have thrown it back in his face like that.

Lloyd wanted to apologize to Morro right then and there, but the comms made it impossible to have a private conversation. As soon as they were home, Lloyd decided. As soon as they got back to the Airjitzu Temple, Lloyd would pull Morro aside and explain that he had only been trying to protect him.

" _Okay, they're talking,_ " Cole suddenly said over the comm. " _They said they planted ten bombs in all_."

" _Wait, ten?_ " Nya repeated. " _We only got nine_."

" _Are you sure?_ " Jay asked. " _We interrogated them separately. They both said ten._ "

" _Yes, including the one that already went off and the one the police defused, we only got nine of them_."

"How long before it goes off?" Lloyd demanded. In front of him, the last criminal actually managed to clear a jump over a small alleyway, tucking and rolling before hopping to his feet again and continuing his sprint. Running right up to the edge of the current rooftop, Lloyd leapt, knowing without a doubt that he could make the jump as well. He soared through the air and landed safely upon the other roof-

Falling.

 _Falling_.

Something was wrong. Too hot. Too loud. Ringing, ringing, _ringing_ , the ringing was too _loud_ -

He was falling.

He was _falling_.

Lloyd had no idea how he knew, but he was sure that, this time, no one was going to catch him before he hit the ground.

* * *

 **Oh NO! See, I wasn't lying when I said the plot was going to get started veeery soon ;D**

 **Also, last chapter was called Ticking Time Bomb and this chapter has an ACTUAL bomb in it? Woah, mind blown. (Haha, "blown." See what I did there? Okay, I'll stop now. XD)**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading! I can't wait to see what you guys think of this turn of events! ;D Have an awesome day! :D**


	4. Hope

**Can I just say again how awesome all of you guys are? :3 Thank you so much for all the lovely support you guys have shown my little story! :D**

 **And, now! We get to find out Lloyd's fate! ;D**

 **Special thanks to: KrazyKittyKat3, sunflower. peach, FirstFandomFangirl, ABCSKW123-IX, Katla1, Inimidesert, GameCubeGirl1, TheKittenQueen, DarkRed101, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, RandomDragon2.0, GalacticD0nuts, silverTimeTwin, Peanut2196, Wolfjem, Fires of Darkness, Plumcicle, SpiritDragon, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, Fxreflies, Rick Riordan1, KyraPlays, and Guest for reviewing! I will be replying to reviews shortly after posting this! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **Plumcicle: Haha, I hope the wait is worth it! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Yep, you were definitely right about Lloyd being the one to get injured! XD And, of course, everyone has to have other issues going on at the same time XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Don't worry, we'll see Zane this chapter! ;D I'm glad you can imagine that board game scene, because I loved writing it! XD I think we can all relate with Jay D': And, we will definitely explore Morro and Lloyd's relationship more! :D I'm so glad you like the chapter titles! I actually put a of thought into them (probably more than is necessary XD) Thank you sooo much for your lovely reviews! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Yeeeaaah, that will *probably* not be the last cliffhanger ;D I'm glad you can see the conflict in Lloyd and Morro's (complicated) relationship :D Ah, Jay was avoiding Nya, because he knew she had figured out he was jealous of Morro and he didn't want to talk about it or admit she was right XD We will see about Lloyd... ;D And, Morro is definitely a sweetie no matter how much he denies it XD Aw, I'm so happy you think I write everyone well! :3 For now, this story will be updated every Saturday, but I *hope* to move it to Wednesday and Saturday updates eventually :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: I do like the nickname very much! XD We will see... ;D Aw, I'm sorry, but I definitely can't promise that that's the last cliffhanger XD Oh my gosh, thank you SO much for saying you like my characterizations of everybody! That is VERY important to me! And, I love imagining myself working on Ninjago, so thank you for that image XD Ooh, cool name! Yeah, write for as many fandoms as you like! I *might* expand my repertoire one day, but for now, it's Ninjago on the brain XD Angst level is rising at TRIPLE warp speed! XD Thank you sooooo much for reviewing and all your super kind compliments! (And for liking my pun XD)**

 **Guest: Aw, thank you so much! Yeah, I have (apparently) (accidentally) made it my personal mission to develop Morro's character, so here we are XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"Hey, look, there's Lloyd!" Jay pointed out as Cole finished tying the two other terrorists to a lamppost. "He's still chasing the last guy."

"He'll never catch him," one of the criminals sneered, causing Cole to give the rope around his wrists a vicious yank.

"In case the green gi didn't give it away, Lloyd's _kind of_ the Green Ninja," Cole countered with an eye roll. "I don't think your boss is going to give him much trouble."

The two protesters shared a look and snickered, causing Cole and Jay to then share a confused look.

"That's not why," the other criminal remarked between chuckles.

Jay raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"

An explosion rocked the earth, nearly throwing Cole and Jay off their feet. They turned in time to see a cloud of black smoke engulf the building across the street before it started collapsing, huge chunks of the wall and roof falling over each other and crashing to the ground. The heat from the explosion seared their faces, but Cole and Jay both squinted through the smoke looking for- looking for- looking for-

"Lloyd!" Cole called, running over to where the debris had settled. The free terrorist was lounging on a nearby rooftop, clutching his chest and grinning, but Lloyd was… Lloyd was…

Nowhere to be found.

" _Lloyd_!" Jay echoed as he and Cole came to the edge of the rubble. They started digging through the remains of the building, Jay wishing he could move as heavy pieces of debris as Cole could. Jay grimaced when a sharp piece of metal sliced a cut across his palm, but he kept searching, kept searching, kept _searching_ for anything that wasn't brown or gray or black and yet part of him hoping they never found him if he was already dead because Jay didn't think he could live with the image of Lloyd's dead body-

Jay gasped when he saw the flash of green under the rock he just moved.

"Cole! I found him!" He called, already throwing the other smaller pieces of debris off of Lloyd to dig him out from the rubble. Cole was by his side in an instant, and when most of Lloyd's body- _please just be unconscious, not dead, not dead, not dead, not dead-_ was revealed Cole lifted Lloyd as gently as he could and carried him over to a clear part of the empty road with Jay right behind him.

"Call someone to get an ambulance sent in!" Cole ordered Jay as he pressed his fingers to Lloyd's throat- and sagged with relief. "He's still alive!"

As Jay was frantically trying to still his shaking hands long enough to dial the police chief's number, Cole began looking Lloyd over for injuries.

"Hey, bro, you're going to be okay," Cole told him softly, searching for blood, breaks, bruises, but aside from a few scratches, nothing seemed too serious. "Hear that, Lloyd? We're going to take really good care of you, and you're going to be okay."

Cole ran his hand through Lloyd's blonde hair- and started when he felt something wet. Turning Lloyd over as slightly as possible, he saw that the back of Lloyd's head was bleeding, the blonde hair stained red and matted down with blood.

"Jay, where's that ambulance?" Cole called over his shoulder. Because a _head_ injury… Head injuries were…

"It's coming," Jay told him as he came to kneel beside Lloyd. "I told the others. Kai and Nya are going to catch the last guy. I think- they were all freaking out over the comm and I'm not even sure Morro knows how to talk back over the comm and it seems like something we should have taught him so I don't know where he is and of course Zane's still missing and he's probably hurt too-"

"Jay!" Cole snapped- and once the blue ninja stopped rambling, he could hear the ambulance's siren in the distance. "He's going to be fine, alright?" Though he might not be. Cole was no doctor, but that head injury looked _bad_. "But, I need you to stay calm."

Jay, looking pale and borderline ill, nodded.

Everything after that happened in a blur. Paramedics were swarming around Lloyd, spiriting him into the ambulance while Cole and Jay followed numbly behind and waited to hear any kind of reassurance that their baby brother was going to be okay.

None came.

* * *

"No!" Kai shouted as he and Nya rushed to the half-collapsed building that Jay had told them Lloyd had been caught in- only to see the ambulance speeding away from the scene of the crime with Lloyd, Cole, and Jay presumably inside.

"Kai," Nya said breathlessly, grabbing her brother's arm. "You know Jay and Cole can look after him. He's going to be fine, Kai."

"But… But…," Kai couldn't speak. His brain wasn't working- but it was also moving too fast. There were so many things he wanted to say. _He needs me. I need to be there for him. He needs me._

 _It's all our fault_.

"Kai," Nya said again, desperately trying to get his attention. "Kai, there's nothing we can do for him. We have to focus on the mission. We have to catch the last guy."

"The bomb."

"Huh?"

"Nya, we didn't defuse the bomb," Kai told her. "We didn't- If we had gotten all of them like we thought we had, then he wouldn't have- he wouldn't be-"

Nya looked down, as if she didn't quite know how to respond to this revelation- when out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement. Morro ran up behind them, and they turned to see him stop to catch his breath before looking up at them solemnly.

"I'll catch the last guy," Morro volunteered without preamble. "You two go to the hospital."

Kai and Nya gaped at him. "Are you sure, Morro?" Nya asked. "What about you?"

"You know they won't let me in to see him," Morro said quietly, looking away, his jaw tight with frustration and anger and _worry_. "I'm not going to cause a scene that might take away from Lloyd's treatment or whatever. I'll catch the last guy and then let Wu and Misako know. And, you guys just… let me know how he is." After a beat, he added, "Please."

Kai and Nya shared a look… then nodded. "We will," Kai reassured him. "Thanks."

And with that, they ran off toward the hospital.

Morro turned, knowing the last terrorist couldn't have gotten too terribly far.

He cracked his knuckles. This, at least, would be fun.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Jay whispered, feeling dizzy even though he was already sitting down. "Can-Can you repeat that? I don't... think I understand."

The nurse sighed and repeated gravely, "Your friend has a severe skull fracture and possible brain damage. We're not sure of the extent of the brain damage yet, but he's undergoing surgery right now for the skull fracture."

"Oh," Jay said quietly, looking down at his hands.

"Um, thanks," Cole said from the seat beside Jay in waiting room, his voice just as thin and weak.

"I'll talk to you again when we know more," she said before walking away.

The hospital was rife with civilians that had been injured in the first explosion, all talking over one another, crying, some yelling before being shushed. But, Jay couldn't hear a thing. The only thing he could hear was the nurse saying over and over again, " _Brain damage_."

Cole touched his shoulder hesitantly. "Jay?"

Jay's stomach dropped- and he scrambled to his feet. "I've got to-"

He ran off without finishing the sentence, bursting into the thankfully empty bathroom. He barely managed to lean over the sink before he vomited.

Cole was right behind him, of course, with two strong hands laid flat against his back, trying to exude comfort and reassurance when he himself was shaking.

"Jay, they don't know for sure yet," Cole told him, the words sounding like a lie even though they were true. "It may be nothing, you know? He could be totally fine."

Jay rested his elbows on the edge of the sink basin and tried to catch his breath. He rinsed his mouth out, rinsed the sink out, and finally stood up straight.

"We should have been there for him, Cole," Jay told him tearfully. "I mean, we were right there. We were _right there_. We should have figured out what those guys meant sooner. We should have warned Lloyd he was being led into a trap…"

Jay trailed off as he started crying. Cole tried to think of something to say… and came up blank.

He settled on, "I know." He pulled Jay into a hug- more for himself than Jay, really- and Jay hugged him back, crying into his shoulder. "I know."

* * *

Zane had been having a bad day.

Not only had his time at the library been cut short, but then police had rushed in and insisted that this area of the city needed to be evacuated. He tried to get a straight answer from someone about what exactly was going on, and only then did it occur to him to turn his phone on- to see five missed calls from Kai. When he tried to call back, no one answered, confirming his hypothesis that the ninja were already dealing with the threat.

And, he wasn't there to help.

The civilians had all been quarantined on the bottom floor of an office building, and though Zane tried again and again to get out so he could help his siblings deal with the threat, the police officers were adamant about no one leaving.

(When he tried to explain that he was a ninja, they didn't believe him and asked "which one?" Zane was balking too much at their stupidity to reply and had been forced back into the crowd.)

So, by the time Zane and everyone else had been allowed to leave the office building, the crisis was over. The three terrorists had been dropped off anonymously at the police station, the leader of the group sporting a broken nose and several, most likely superfluous contusions.

And then, Zane was hearing rumblings of the Green Ninja being injured.

He ran straight to the hospital.

He probably looked like a crazy person, bursting into the emergency room as harried and panicked as he was (then again, that was probably a common occurrence in the emergency room), but he cared nothing for that as he searched for his family.

He spotted them from across the room, and he immediately rushed over-

"Zane!" Jay shouted, engulfing his brother in a hug. "Man, we were so worried about you! We were just about to call-"

"I am unharmed," he dismissed hurriedly, scanning the rest of his teammates. Cole, Kai, and Nya were there, also expressing their relief at his arrival, and they appeared uninjured. "Is Lloyd alright? Where is Morro?"

"Morro went to tell Wu and Misako what happened. He's fine," Nya explained.

"That is good," Zane sighed, letting one load drop from his mind. "And, Lloyd?"

The other ninja shared a look, none of them seeming to want to be the one to speak.

Eventually, Nya rubbed her hand over her face tiredly. "You should sit down for this."

Kai paced continuously (frankly putting Zane on edge), Jay and Cole sat quietly for once, and Nya explained everything that had happened, perhaps relishing in relating the cold, hard facts of something rather than having to cope with her feelings.

That is until she reached Lloyd's prognosis.

"Brain damage," Zane repeated numbly.

" _Possible_ brain damage," Cole was quick to amend.

Zane shook his head in disbelief. "If I had been there…"

Nya reached out and touched his knee. "No, Zane, you can't start that-"

Zane stood up suddenly, finally understanding Kai's need to pace. "Brain damage can have so many effects on a person. Amnesia, aphasia, coma, cognitive impairment, personality change, _blindness_ \- all of the above! If I had _been_ there…"

"It might have been exactly the same, bro," Cole finished for him. "You can't blame-"

"How many times has the entire outcome of a battle changed because of _one_ thing that _one_ of us did? How many times have we been saved because _one_ of us showed up at the last second?" Zane demanded.

Cole was quiet.

Zane took a shuddering, deep breath, staring down at the tile beneath his feet. "If I had not shirked my duty to Ninjago- my duty to all of _you_ \- then perhaps Lloyd would not… Lloyd would not…"

He couldn't finish the sentence.

Kai came up to him then, placing both hands on his shoulders and pushing his brother back into the chair.

"It wasn't your fault," Kai told him.

But, Zane shook his head before dropping his head into his palms in despair.

* * *

Wu and Misako arrived not long after that, the latter clearly distraught and out of her mind with worry. Wu explained that Morro had wisely decided to stay at the temple, though he was anxiously waiting by the phone. (Which in and of itself was a testament to how worried Morro was. He had been extremely freaked out when Kai had shown him that cell phones were good for much more than app games. Being able to talk to someone clear across Ninjago definitely had to be black magic, and he had dabbled enough in that, thank you very much.)

After a hundred years, the same nurse that had spoken to them before reappeared.

They all straightened, holding their breaths as they waited for her to deliver the diagnosis.

She offered them a wan smile. "My, what a big family! May I speak to all of you privately?"

"He's not okay?" Jay asked immediately, gripping the arm rests of his chair more tightly.

The nurse hesitated. "Well, there's good news and there's bad news. I'd really rather speak to all of you in private."

"Is he okay or not?" Kai demanded.

The nurse, as if realizing ushering all seven of them into a private room when they were so on edge would be near impossible, stepped closer and lowered her voice.

"Lloyd survived the surgery, but unfortunately, he has slipped into a coma."

Dead silence.

"Now, I know your minds immediately jumped to the worst case scenario, but many coma patients wake up in as few as a handful of days," she was quick to add. "And, the good news is that there doesn't appear to be any other long lasting damage. If and when Lloyd wakes up, he should be good as new."

"So, there's a chance he won't wake up," Kai concluded, his voice tight with barely contained emotion.

The nurse nodded solemnly. "There is always that chance, but I encourage you to stay optimistic these first few weeks. The doctor can go over details with you."

"Can we see him?" Nya asked quietly.

"Yes," the nurse replied. "One at a time."

* * *

"Hey, little brother," Nya greeted softly, sitting in the chair beside Lloyd's hospital bed.

The Green Ninja was… well, _tiny_ , framed against the whiteness of the bed. He seemed swallowed by the white sheets, washed out by the brightness of it all. The IV in his arm only made it seem that much more odd- _wrong_ \- that the vivacious, inspirational Green Ninja was lying here now, comatose.

"Don't worry, Kai will come to see you," she told Lloyd, running her thumb gently against Lloyd's cheek. Misako and Wu had visited Lloyd and were now having a discussion with the doctor, but both were holding onto hope better than some of the ninja were- especially Kai. He had actually gone in to see Lloyd first after the adults… then had stomped out less than a minute later, storming down the hall without a word and promptly disappearing. "He's upset; you know he just needs time. It's hard for him- for all of us- to see you like this."

She sighed, feeling tears prickle. She quickly wiped her eyes. She'd read somewhere that coma patients might be able to hear and be aware of the world around them. If that was true, the last thing she wanted to do was cry.

"I'm sorry, Lloyd," Nya whispered before clearing her throat to speak louder. "I… It was my job to take care of the bombs, and I… and I let you down."

She leaned closer, resting her palm against her baby brother's cheek. "And, I'll make it up to you, Lloyd, I promise, but I need you to wake up," she told him. "We can't… I don't know what we'd do without you. You give people _hope_ , Lloyd. You give _us_ hope. So… So, please just… wake up."

She stood up, pressing a kiss to his temple. "We need you, little brother."

* * *

Morro, upon hearing of Lloyd's condition, declared that he was coming to the hospital to visit- secretly. So, after night had fallen, Morro scaled his second building of the day, careful to avoid passing over windows. After successfully making it to the roof of the hospital where the helipad was, he managed to pick the lock on the roof access door.

Using his ninja stealth, he carefully picked his way through the mostly empty top two floors of the hospital, though he had had to duck into a random patient's room when a doctor rounded a corner. The old woman whose room it was insisted on calling him "Jeffrey" and kept asking him to bring her some cheese crackers, but _finally_ , Morro found Lloyd's room.

Cole was just exiting. "Morro! Wow, you made it."

"Yeah," Morro huffed, slightly out of breath. "Where is everybody?"

"Wu took Misako home. Jay, Nya, and Zane are in the lounge area down the hall, and Kai is… somewhere," Cole gestured to the room behind him. "You can go in to see him, if you want."

Morro glanced warily at the door, but eventually nodded. "Yeah, that's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

He didn't sound sure that _was_ what he was here for, but Cole smiled at him and left him alone, presumably going to join the other ninja.

Morro didn't know where his sudden trepidation came from; he blamed his sweaty palms on the exertion. He almost considered escaping the hospital the same way he'd come in, but he heard a nurse approaching and had to hide in Lloyd's room or risk getting caught.

He didn't know what he expected to see, but it wasn't… _this_.

Lloyd was just… _lying_ there. This was the Green Ninja? The worthy opponent, admirable leader, _that_ Lloyd? That was the same Lloyd lying motionless and… _pathetic_ here in this hospital room?

Morro didn't feel sad seeing Lloyd like this. He felt _angry_. He approached the bed, grabbing the railing on the side in a white-knuckled grasp and glaring down at "the Green Ninja."

"It's your own fault," he snapped. "It's- you- you made it my fault!"

Morro turned away in disgust, pacing a few feet away, unable to _look_ at him anymore. He tried to master his emotions, but the anger bubbling in his stomach was only growing stronger with every step he took, and finally he whipped back around, stomping over to Lloyd once again and leaning over the bed as if intimidating him enough would cause him to wake up.

"Why didn't you let me come with you?" Morro demanded. "I would have had your back! I would have caught you! I would have _saved_ you! But, you-"

Morro stopped, suddenly losing steam. Because, it wasn't Lloyd's fault.

The terrorists had been protesting _Morro's_ presence here.

Lloyd didn't trust Morro to have his back, because of everything _Morro_ had done.

And, going against his first instinct, Morro had not defied Lloyd's order, climbing Borg Tower even when he _knew_ he was needed on the ground.

No matter how he spun it, the result was the same. It was all Morro's fault.

Morro backed up toward the door. Even though he had made a thirty minute trek for a two minute visit, he couldn't stay any longer.

Becoming human again was supposed to be his chance at redemption, and yet somehow, he was resembling the monster everyone thought he was more and more with every day.

* * *

 **Oh noooo! Lloyd is in a coma! Don't worry, we will see the other ninja's reactions more in depth next chapter! ;D**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! Have an AMAZING day! :D**


	5. That Would Be Coping, Right?

**Over a hundred reviews! You guys make me feel like a million bucks! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and my story! :D**

 **Special thanks to: Fires of Darkness, FirstFandomFangirl, RandomDragon2.0, TheKittenQueen, thefiresensei, KrazyKittyKat3, Wolfjem, Katla1, lloydskywalkers, GameCubeGirl1, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, PrairieSkies, GalacticD0nuts, Aurro sister of Morro, silverTimeTwin, Plumcicle, SpiritDragon, 3, ColeLoverGirl, Perosn, TheYellowNinja, Inimidesert, Ebony umbreon, Peanut2196, Fxreflies, NinjagymnastgirlK, Rick Riordan1, and Kyra Plays for reviewing! :D I will be responding to reviews shortly after posting! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **Plumcicle: Haha, don't you know I love playing with people's hearts by now?! XD Ooh, cool, I'll check that song out! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: You almost cried!? That makes me so happy! XD We'll find out about Lloyd this chapter ;D Ooh, you make a very good point about Morro! Poor guy D': Aw, I'm so glad you liked the Pixal chapter! :3 Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **3: Haha! Thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Haha, you think the ninja would learn that blaming yourself doesn't help anything XD Aw, I'm so happy you thought it was well written! Yeah, we'll see the plot moving ahead ;D Ooh, you are *certainly* correct in some of your guesses ;D (especially with the title of this chapter XD) We will get to the Departed Realm very soon! ;D You stay awesome, too! Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **Perosn: Yeeeaaah, we'll see just how well all the self-blame is going XD "An excellent writer?!" You are WAY too nice! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Of course I'm trying to put all of you in agony! XD Distress is exactly what I was going for XD Haha, I thought that little anecdote about Zane offered some well needed comic relief XD The plot is definitely moving forward in this chapter! ;D And, Morro is very brave for forcing himself to use the evil telephone XD Haha, no problem! Unfortunately, we have to deal with real life sometimes too XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **RickRiordan1: Haha, I *do* love to torture them, so maybe I do have an issue XD Aw, it makes me SO happy to know you love all my stories and stuff! :D Ooh, ranking the ninja? That is way too hard! Let's see... Cole is definitely number one. Lloyd is probably second? Jay and Kai tie for third. Nya and Zane tie for fourth. Ugh, but I love all of them so much! D': Honestly, all of them are veeeery close together (and knowing me, this list will probably be different every time I get asked XD) Wu and Misako are at the bottom, and if we're including Morro, he'd probably tie with Lloyd XD What, Dareth's not on your list?! He is AMAZING! XD Aw, you are way too nice! I love you too! XD Hm... I guess it's possible! That is a SUPER interesting idea, and I think that will make for a great story! Thank you SO MUCH for reviewing!**

* * *

"Hey, Lloyd," Jay said, aiming for a smile and only managing a grimace. "So, it's been two weeks since the accident." That's what he had taken to calling it. Claiming it had been an accident seemed easier; it implied that there was no blame, though Jay knew very well that it was his fault. "But… nothing's changed much in Ninjago- at least, not since the last time I talked to you.

"The reporters outside left. I thought you'd like to know that. You're getting more fan mail than ever before, ha ha…," Jay trailed off nervously. Honestly, the sight of the fan mail had only made him angry. What were they supposed to do with all the _get well soons_ and _thank yous_ and _we miss yous_? They weren't going to fix Lloyd; and now, after two weeks with no change, it seemed that nothing would.

Tears ran down his cheeks, though he couldn't recall the exact moment they escaped.

"Um… Everyone's doing about as well as can be expected- which is, um, not good. Nya's been working a lot. The temple's never been in better condition, heh… Zane's been doing research non-stop. Cole's optimistic, too. I'm…," Jay stopped. He had wanted to say that he was holding onto hope as well.

But, here, now, seeing Lloyd looking exactly the same as he had two weeks ago… Well, he couldn't lie to Lloyd. He quickly changed the subject.

"Don't- Don't let it upset you that Kai hasn't come to visit. You know it's not because he doesn't care. He's… well, we haven't seen much of him. He comes home with bruised knuckles, scratches, the works. He barely talks to us anymore. He… He's really hurting, Lloyd. He misses you."

Jay sighed, folding his arms on the railing attached to the side of the bed and resting his head on top of them. " _I_ miss you."

The blue ninja looked up, realizing he had forgotten someone. "Oh, and sorry Morro can't come to visit you as often as we can. He's upset too, even if he doesn't like to show it. He's kind of like Kai; he's training constantly and stays shut up in his room a lot of the time. I think he wishes he could go out like Kai, but you know he can't."

Jay pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket… before ripping it up. "I, um, had brought some jokes to tell you, but I… It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it just seems kind of stupid now. Sorry."

Jay sat there silently after that. He always thought that, if given the chance of a captive audience, he could ramble for hours, but Jay would have taken a vow of silence for the rest of his life if it meant hearing Lloyd say one word.

* * *

"Zane, are you-" Cole stopped in the doorway of Lloyd's hospital room, cocking his head as he tried to name the familiar aroma. A radio was also playing; if it was not _obnoxiously_ loud, it was still too loud for a hospital. "Wait, is that… Zane, is that Misako's perfume?"

The nindroid looked over at Cole, letting go of Lloyd's hand and turning down the music only slightly. "Yes. I sprayed it around the room. I thought she would not mind."

Cole sighed, grabbing the bridge of his nose. "Zane, I thought we talked about this."

"No, no, listen, Cole, I have done extensive research!" The nindroid insisted, coming to stand in front of Cole. "Stimulating the senses of a coma patient- smell, sound, touch- has been shown to help them recover! If-"

"Zane," Cole said firmly, grabbing both of his brother's shoulders. "I get it, okay? I _get_ it. But, this… We let you try a lot of your theories, but enough is enough."

The nindroid shook his head. "But-"

"The doctors asked you to stop," Cole reminded him gently. "Remember? And, I agree with them. You have to stop, Zane."

Zane stepped back, seeming betrayed. "Excuse me for saying that this seems hypocritical coming from you considering you refuse to give up hope that Lloyd will awaken as well."

"I never said stop hoping," Cole was quick to point out. "But, that's all we can do. Hope and time. That's all we can give Lloyd."

Zane glanced at the Green Ninja. "Coma patients rarely recover after four weeks. Tomorrow, it will have been four weeks."

Cole squeezed his eyes shut. _Four weeks_ … It sounded worse saying it out loud. Still, he said, "We have to hope."

Zane pondered this a moment before walking briskly past Cole and toward the door. "What if this is how I hope?"

Cole turned to watch him go. "It wasn't your fault, Zane."

Zane paused without turning around. "That also seems hypocritical coming from you."

He left, shutting the door behind him. Cole sighed, moving to turn the radio off.

"Sorry about the perfume, bro," he told Lloyd as the room was plunged into silence. "I'd air it out if I could, but these windows don't open."

Cole was quiet a moment after that, gently smoothing down Lloyd's blonde locks. He could say he was sorry for the millionth time. Jay had been right that day, after all. They had been _right there_. They should have done _something_ to save him…

But, he hadn't been lying to Zane. Time and hope. Those were what Lloyd needed. Not blame.

Cole smiled ruefully, patting Lloyd's chest. "Remember when I lost half my Soul Stone? And, I went into the long sleep?"

The black ninja allowed himself to sink into the chair beside the bed, shaking his head. "Geez, that seems like a million years ago. But, remember? Everyone told me that you were the only one that still believed I was going to come back. That's all this is: a long sleep. You never lost hope, Lloyd, so I won't either."

He took Lloyd's hand in both of his own and squeezed. "Even ten years from now, Lloyd, I'll still be hoping, alright?"

And, Cole meant it… but then he started thinking. Ten years? He would be twenty six. Would he still be a ninja? _Could_ he still be a ninja with his leader like this?

He hadn't spared a thought on the future beyond Lloyd waking up. It seemed time had frozen and would stay that way as long as Lloyd was asleep.

* * *

"Kai!"

The red ninja groaned, turning around. He had been about to leave the Airjitzu Temple, hoping to avoid everyone else, but of course Nya had to catch him before he could make it out.

"What?"

Nya balked upon coming to stand in front of her brother. " _What_? You've been avoiding all of us for a month, getting into as many fights as you can start, you won't go see your baby brother in the hospital, and _what_ is all you have to say?"

Kai turned on his heel with a scoff, stomping out of the temple- until Nya grabbed his elbow.

" _Enough_ , Kai," Nya ground out, her voice like steel. "You've had your space, but now you have to go see Lloyd."

"Why?" He snapped.

"Because he needs his big brother, that's why."

Kai looked away. Nya knew exactly what buttons to push.

So, of course, Kai responded with more anger. "It doesn't _matter_ , Nya. It's been a month. He's not going to wake up."

Nya pursed her lips, her eyes glassy. "It will help you move on."

Now, it was Kai's turn to balk. "Move on? _Move on_? Did you seriously just say _move on_?"

"I'm not saying we forget him, Kai," Nya argued with an eye roll. "But, we still have the future to consider. Ninjago's still going to need ninja. You have to _cope_ -"

"Cope," Kai repeated disbelievingly.

"You never coped with our parents' disappearance, and look where that got you," Nya pointed out. Kai physically recoiled, shocked she would throw that in his face- once again, she knew exactly what buttons to push.

Changing her tone to pleading instead of accusatory, she said, "I just don't want the same thing to happen this time."

Kai looked at her for a moment. Then, he ripped his arm out of her grasp and left the temple without a word.

* * *

Kai stared at the hospital room door. He knew exactly what he was going to see. It was what he had seen the one other time he'd stood here, the split second that he had seen Lloyd lying there so fragile and helpless and the opposite of everything Kai loved about him…

Taking a deep breath, Kai entered the room.

It was even worse than he had imagined. Lloyd, unconscious, hurt, because of Kai's inability to protect him when he had promised- he had _promised_ \- to protect him forever…

Kai forced himself to walk forward. He would say a few words and then leave. That would satisfy Nya, right? That would be "coping," right?

Kai sat down. "Lloyd-"

He broke down sobbing. He hadn't shed a tear since the incident, choosing instead to use every single emotion into his fists, but now- _now_ -

He held Lloyd's hand in his own. He didn't say a word.

Kai sat beside Lloyd and cried.

* * *

Morro stared down at Lloyd. He had visited exactly five times, always sneaking in through the roof access door, and every time he had felt so _angry_ that he couldn't stay for longer than ten minutes, fifteen minutes top.

But, this time was different.

Instead of _anger_ , he... didn't really know how to feel.

It was times like these that made him wish Gem was here. Not that he didn't wish she was here all the time, but she was the one person in the entire universe that he knew he could talk to about literally anything. He could have said, "hey, I feel like kicking a whole litter of newborn puppies" or something equally as nasty, and she wouldn't have bat an eye.

In fact, he could imagine her perfectly in this room. She would be sitting in the chair he was currently gripping the back of, swinging her little legs back and forth.

She'd look up at him standing over her and say, "Are you going to tell me what it's about or are you going to make me guess?" with her usual bluntness.

Morro sighed. Thinking that there was no one else in the room to see him talking to himself like a crazy person, he responded to her aloud.

"Wu talked to me," Morro said hesitantly. "He said, 'They're going to need someone to lead them.' That's all he said, and I… can't figure out what he means."

Gem would flash him a _look_. She never did accept any nonsense. "I think you know what he means."

Morro pressed his mouth into a line, because he did know what Wu was implying.

"I mean, isn't this what you wanted?" Gem would ask. "You thought you could be a better leader than Lloyd, and now you have the chance to prove it. The others will follow you eventually."

She would shrug. "Besides, with Lloyd like this, wouldn't that basically make you the Green Ninja?"

As much as Morro, working so tirelessly toward redemption, hated to admit it, he couldn't help but consider it. Everything he had ever wanted was finally within reach with Lloyd out of the way. The debt he had garnered by possessing Lloyd would never have to be repaid if he never woke up.

But, glancing at Lloyd, Morro saw only someone who had found it in himself to forgive Morro after everything he had done. To force Morro to possess him at the price of his own emotional wellbeing. To accept him into his family when he had no obligation to.

Gem would be standing on the chair now, looking at Morro with a smile that made him feel like an idiot, a teddy bear, and invincible all at once.

"I think you already made up your mind, big brother."

Morro almost smiled back… until he remembered Gem wasn't actually there. Sending a silent thank you to her in the Departed Realm, Morro rushed out of the hospital.

The ninja needed someone to lead them… and it was going to be Lloyd if Morro had anything to say about it.

* * *

"I never brought this up before, because it's a terrible idea and I'm almost positive Wu won't approve," Morro prefaced. The six conscious ninja had surprisingly agreed to gather in his bedroom when he had called a meeting about Lloyd, though Kai looked like he'd rather be anywhere else and Zane was staring off into space and probably not listening.

Morro continued, "And, I kept hoping Lloyd would wake up on his own. But, he won't, and he's not going to unless we do something about it."

 _That_ got their attention.

"What are you implying, Morro?" Cole asked, brow furrowed.

"Morro, please don't get our hopes up," Nya said quietly, gripping the comforter of his bed that she was sitting on tightly.

"Just hear me out," Morro insisted, holding his hands up, palms splayed as if to indicate innocence. "And, if you guys don't want to do it, we can forget about it."

"If there's a chance Lloyd will wake up, we're doing it," Kai stated firmly, leaning forward. "What is it?"

Morro hesitated, a rueful half smile growing on his face as he remembered the first time the ninja had come to the Departed Realm. "I know a guy.

"They call him the Bone Keeper."

"What?!" Jay exclaimed, resembling his spastic, animated self more than he had in weeks. He jumped to his feet and waved his hands back and forth to demonstrate how exactly _not_ okay he was with any idea that involved the Bone Keeper. "No way! I _hate_ that guy!"

"And, last time, I kind of stabbed him," Cole pointed out. "So, something tells me he won't be so enthusiastic about helping us out."

"Going to the Departed Realm again?" Nya asked. "Taking the Realm Crystal out of Hiroshi's Labyrinth is always a huge risk."

"First of all," Zane said more loudly than the others. "How could the Bone Keeper help Lloyd regain consciousness?"

There was a pause as the others quieted down. Morro, looking annoyed, snapped, "Oh, is it finally my turn to speak?"

Kai, rolling his eyes, groaned, "Just spit it out, Morro."

"Fine," Morro took a deep breath. "I heard a rumor once about this ghost who had attempted a spell- you know, some black magic he had no business trying. Anyway, something went wrong, and he ended up in this sort of vegetative state.

"They tried everything- and I mean, _everything_ \- to wake him up, but nothing worked. The Bone Keeper hears about this, offers his services, does his mind reading thing- bam, the guy wakes up just like that."

"And, just how reliable is this rumor?" Jay asked, crossing his arms and raising an unconvinced eyebrow.

"Actually, that makes some sort of sense," Zane surprisingly defended. "There is nothing physically wrong with Lloyd beyond the coma. The problem is internal, not external, and in that way, the Bone Keeper has access to Lloyd that we do not."

"So, we're just going to let him go poking around in Lloyd's head?" Cole asked incredulously. "What if he messes him up? Learns all of Lloyd's weaknesses? His secrets? You know that if Lloyd was here, he'd say no in a heartbeat!"

"But, Lloyd's _not_ here," Kai snapped, causing Cole to recoil. "And, I'm going to do _whatever it takes_ to bring him back."

"Oh, I just remembered!" Jay exclaimed. "I gave Lydia- my mom- the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone! We can just make him wake Lloyd up without paying a cent!"

"And, we always have Gem," Nya pointed out.

Morro scowled. "I'm not putting her in danger if we don't have to."

"But, what about Wu?" Cole pointed out. "He'd never let us go back to the Departed Realm."

"That's never stopped us before," Kai replied flippantly.

"Look, are you in or are you out?" Morro demanded of the group as a whole. "It has to be unanimous."

"I'm in," Kai responded immediately.

"I am 'in' as well," Zane echoed, raising his hand slightly.

Jay glanced nervously at Kai and Zane and then at Cole and Nya, who had yet to respond. Eventually, he sighed and very quietly said, "I'm in."

Cole and Nya shared a look.

Nya nodded firmly. "I'm in."

Everyone looked at Cole.

"You guys went to the Departed Realm to wake me up from the long sleep." Cole smiled. "Now it's time for me to return the favor. I'm in."

* * *

 **Bum bum BUM! XD**

 **I hope you guys liked it! :D Let me know what you think of the ninja's (terrible) plan! XD**

 **Have an absolutely fabulous day and know you are loved! :D**


	6. Are You Still, Like, Evil?

**I know, I know, I still haven't replied to everyone's reviews yet :/ I have midterms coming up and a TON of homework, not to mention visiting family, so I am going to be VERY busy these next two weeks or so. I replied to most of the reviews from Ch. 4 (and if I haven't replied to yours, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you!), but I figured you guys would prefer to have another chapter now rather than waiting for however long it took me to finish replying to reviews. PLEASE know I appreciate all the so incredibly nice reviews this story has gotten so far, and I PROMISE I will respond to them as soon as I can. Please bear with me! -_-;**

 **Special thanks to: Fires of Darkness, Fxreflies, Ebony umbreon, TheKittenQueen, Inimidesert, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, thefiresensei, Katla1, RandomDragon2.0, NinjagymnastgirlK, silverTimeTwin, GalacticD0nuts, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, FullMetalPon-3, Peanut2196, Perosn, GameCubeGirl1, Wolfjem, SpiritDragon, Rick Riordan1, PrairieSkies, and KyraPlays for reviewing! I love you all! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **TheYellowNinja: I think you're right; this plan could go wrong in so many terrible ways XD Aw, I'm glad their conversations with Lloyd struck a cord for you :D Haha, they should have a vacation home! How awesome would that be?! I hope you like this chapter! I *am* close to being done with the story, but, as I stated above, I am going to be pretty busy these next two weeks, so there probably won't be much time to write :( I'm sorry! Please bear with me! Believe me, if I could write instead of do homework, I would XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Aw, I'm glad you're liking Morro as part of the ninja team! Don't worry, how exactly this is going to work will be explained better soon ;D And, I'm sure if Wu could have given Lloyd a tea, he would have done it by now XD I'm glad you liked the little scene with Gem! :3 Hmm, I'm actually not sure if the FSM would be in the Departed Realm at all, since he basically is, like, the creator of the world or whatever, sooo... I don't know about that! XD It makes me so happy that you're seeing the ninja's personalities shine through! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Perosn: Everthing. Everything could possibly go wrong XD I'm so glad you're excited! I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Oh my goodness, I cannot TELL you how happy your review made me! I mean, the fact that my story could make you so jittery and tense is just the HIGHEST honor I can think of! AND, make you cringe!? (Though, we know it would take a lot for Zane to get embarrassed XD) And, yes, defintiely hypocritical coming from any of the ninja ;D It *has* been a month, so I'm sure the others all broke down at some point or another around Lloyd D': I think you're right about something going wrong! ;D We'll see! :D Of course! I LOVE replying to reviews, because I like discussing the story with you guys and also just to ATTEMPT to express my gratitude for all of you guys taking the time out of your day to comment on my little story! (And, that's why I feel so guilty when I can't respond right away D':) Thank you so so SO much for this incredibly nice review! It really made my day! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: The Bone Keeper definitely deserves more ninja! :D Hm... I mean, I do watch other TV shows, but none right now that I would probably want to write fanfiction for. I mean, I have some animes that I like a lot, but it's been a while since I watched them. But, I'm not saying I won't EVER write fanfiction for other fandoms... but for now, at least, it's all about Ninjago XD I love you too! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

The six ninja tried to sneak past Wu, who was sitting in the kitchen, as discreetly as possible, but he noticed them anyway.

"Morro," he called, making the wind master jump. "A moment?"

The other five ninja looked back at him beseechingly, but Morro nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that they should continue on. The former ghost joined Wu by the kitchen table as the others left, not to return until they came back from the Departed Realm- hopefully with a conscious, healthy Lloyd in tow.

"Sensei?" Morro asked, feeling his heart speed up ever so slightly. Why was he nervous? He _never_ got nervous.

"Where are all of you going?" Wu asked, cocking his head. It was a perfectly innocent question, but Morro couldn't help but feel like Wu had overheard the entire conversation in his bedroom.

"Just going to visit Lloyd," Morro replied. The lie rolled off his tongue easily; Morro had learned how to lie before he learned how to tell the truth.

Then why was it suddenly so hard to lie to Wu?

"That's good," Wu nodded before looking back at Morro with his piercing gaze once again. "Have you given any more thought to what I told you the other day?"

Morro forced himself not to swallow. Wu would catch any kind of tell instantly.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it a lot." That, at least, was true. "I just need a little more time. Maybe visiting Lloyd again will help me make my mind up."

He was begging to be released from the conversation, but he hoped Wu chalked it up to him being nervous about potentially accepting the role of leader rather than about anticipating defying Wu and abusing his trust in him.

"I think it will," Wu agreed, stroking his beard. "Well, do not let me keep you any longer."

Morro nodded, mentally sighing with relief, and walked over to the door.

He hesitated there, though.

When he had left the monastery in pursuit of the First Spinjitzu Master's Tomb, he hadn't looked back. He had stormed down the steps, feeling Wu's eyes on him though he refused to turn around.

Sometimes, in his weakest, most hopeless moments, he had wondered what would have happened if he had looked back. He tried to imagine what Wu's expression would have been. He tried to imagine what he would have felt like if he had turned around.

He tried to decide if that would have been enough to get him to stay.

This time, Morro did look back. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Goodbye, Sensei."

Wu, seeming a little perplexed by the sudden seriousness of the exchange, offered a small, confused smile and said, "Goodbye, Morro."

Morro nodded and closed the door behind him.

 _It's not the same thing_ , Morro told himself as he hurried down the temple's front walk. _It's for the right reason._

Of course, he had told himself the same exact thing when he was stomping down the monastery's steps, forcing himself not to turn around even as he hoped Wu would come running after him.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time they all managed to gather in Lloyd's hospital room. Cyrus Borg had been exasperated when asked to disable the security around the fortress that housed the Realm Crystal _again_ , but if the ninja insisted it was a matter of universal importance (which wasn't really a lie, considering Lloyd _was_ the prophesied Green Ninja), he couldn't really argue with them.

Lloyd usually took responsibility of the Realm Crystal, but seeing as he was incapacitated, it was given to Morro, considering he was the only other person to have used it to traverse dimensions (though the image gave all six of them unpleasant flashbacks to the Preeminent's arrival in Ninjago.)

Kai helped lift Lloyd onto Cole's back. He seemed hesitant to let go of his baby brother, but he couldn't deny that Cole was the better candidate to haul dead weight through the Departed Realm for an unknown amount of time. And, as long as Cole was breathing, he wouldn't let anything to happen to their defenseless brother.

They had also dressed him in his green gi, since Jay insisted that Lloyd would be furious with them if he woke up to find out they had taken him to the Departed Realm in his pajamas.

"Ready?" Morro asked, holding the Realm Crystal aloft.

The other five ninja all shared a meaningful look with each other… which ultimately culminated in them staring at Lloyd's unconscious body, slumped so limply against Cole.

"Ready," they replied in unison.

Morro activated the Realm Crystal.

The now familiar sight of a hole being torn through dimensions presented itself, its gravity whipping at their hair and clothes and tugging them closer to the Departed Realm.

Together, they jumped.

When, a moment later, a nurse burst into the room to see what all the commotion was about, she found it completely empty.

As in, _completely_ empty. Even the patient, Lloyd Garmadon, had disappeared without a trace.

* * *

A chorus of "ows!" rang out as the seven ninja slammed into cement.

"Concrete!" Jay exclaimed incredulously. "Why'd it have to be concrete?!"

"Is Lloyd okay?!" Cole asked worriedly, trying to pick himself up from where he had slammed face first into the ground in an effort to cushion Lloyd's fall.

Zane rushed to his brother's side, immediately scanning the Green Ninja for injuries before running his hand gently through Lloyd's blonde hair. "He is fine, Cole."

"How do we get to the Bone Keeper, Morro?" Kai demanded impatiently as he and Zane helped Cole stand up with his charge on his back.

"We have to gather our bearings first, Kai," Nya told him admonishingly, before looking around to do just that. "Besides, don't we need to find Lydia first and get the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone from her?"

They seemed to be in some sort of abandoned city. Short, squat buildings sat silent and empty, most of the windows' glass laying shattered at the foot of the wall in which they were installed. A few street urchins stalked the dirty alleyways and empty streets, but none approached them or seemed particularly interested in their sudden arrival.

Over on the horizon sat a glorious skyline of a rich and bustling city, complete with skyscrapers, glistening beacons of progress. They could hear a dull roar of honking and the drone of loud speakers even from here, which only made the wasteland they were standing in appear all the more tragic by comparison.

"We have been here before," Zane announced suddenly, eyes wide with disbelief. "This is where Lydia took us after we jumped onto a moving train. This is where she stored her minivan."

Morro started. "You guys jumped onto a moving train?"

"Not as fun as it sounds," Nya groaned.

Morro smirked. "I was lying before. _Now_ , my respect for you guys just increased tenfold."

"So?" Kai cut in irritably. "Are your bearings gathered?"

"As a matter of fact, they are," Morro replied smugly, dusting himself off. "But, first, we have to figure out where Gem- and Lydia- are."

"Is there some way we could contact them?" Nya asked. "Get a message out to them wherever they are?"

Morro tapped his chin. "Hm… Well, with the reputation they have, and especially if they restarted the Lost Soul camp, _someone_ must know where they are. I could call in a favor to get someone to deliver a message."

"Just how many people owe you favors?" Jay demanded.

Morro flashed him an evil grin and responded coyly, "Enough."

After he received an exasperated eyeroll for his trouble, Morro started walking down the eerily empty street, gesturing for the rest of the ninja to follow. They trailed after Morro, though they looked uncertainly from side to side at all of the decrepit buildings and ghostly eyes peering out at them.

"The city's going to be our best bet to find that kind of information, though," Morro explained as they walked, seemingly unperturbed by the hawk-like stares of so many street urchins. "And, this might come as a shock to you, but you're actually allowed to get _inside_ the train before it starts moving." The others rolled their eyes at Morro's sarcasm but allowed him to continue. "It'll take us right into the city."

"So, we are headed toward the train station?" Zane questioned next.

"Yep," Morro replied. "If we hurry, we can make its next stop."

"An easy journey?" Jay asked, shocked. "That's a first."

Cole elbowed him. "Don't jinx it."

Thirty minutes later found the seven ninja at a train station that seemed even more rundown and filthy than the ghost (or rather, lack of ghost?) town around it. The sound of litter being blown across the cracked concrete was abnormally loud since the train itself was silent, sitting patiently with its doors wide open. Its few previous passengers were still milling about the station as if they had nowhere else to go. A stained and almost illegible sign read that the train would be departing in ten minutes exactly.

"Hey, what about money?" Jay asked, turning his pockets inside out. "I'm broke."

Morro huffed in annoyance. "Have you guys learned nothing about the Departed Realm? There is no money."

"Then what incentive is there for the conductors to continue doing there job?" Zane questioned, peering at the train curiously.

"There are no conductors. The train runs by itself. It goes 24/7."

Cole gaped. "There's no one controlling it?"

Morro fixed Cole with a look even as, over his shoulder, he took notice of a ghost taking notice of them. "You've gone from human to ghost to human, and an automatic train is what shocks you?"

"Hey, you're the one that's afraid of microwaves," Kai pointed out, though all of them were aware of the ghost approaching their group.

Morro pouted. "I'll have you know that I am _not_ afraid of microwaves-"

The ghost suddenly bumped into Morro, causing the wind master to cut himself off mid-sentence.

"Sorry," the ghost muttered as he tried to keep walking.

He didn't get very far.

Grabbing the ghost's arm in a vice grip, Morro yanked him backward off his feet and slammed him flat on his back. The other five ninja gasped when they saw the Realm Crystal in the now terrified ghost's hand.

"You think you can pickpocket me?" Morro growled, jerking him forward by his shirt front with one hand and snatching the Realm Crystal out of the thief's hand with the other. "I _invented_ pickpocketing."

The ghost's eyes somehow widened more- though now it appeared to be out of surprise rather than fear. "Wait- Morro?!"

Morro recoiled, frown deepening. "A lot of people know my name, buddy. It doesn't flatter me quite so much anymore."

"No, no! Morro, it's _me_!" Though this would usually be the part where the perpetrator pulled his hood _off_ , the ghost instead pulled his blue hood over his head so only two eyes were showing.

Jay jumped. "Wait, is that…?"

Morro gasped, releasing his death grip on the ghost's shirt.

" _Wrayth_?"

Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane all seemed to reach the realization at the same time. " _Him_!" They shouted in unison.

Nya raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"The guy we beat with a water tower!" Jay exclaimed by way of explanation.

"He turned my walliper into a ghost!" Cole turned slightly away, as if still in grieving. "No one turns my walliper into a ghost!"

"He is Chain Master Wrayth with the ability to turn living things into ghosts and enhance inanimate objects with ghostly attributes," Zane explained more clearly for Nya. "And, he was the first ghost Morro summoned from the Cursed Realm with the Allied Armor of Azure."

"We fought him on the way to Stiix when we were looking for the Airjitzu Scroll," Kai finished, smirking. "Does that about clear it up, sis?"

Nya laughed. "Yeah, just about."

By this time, Morro had numbly stood up off of Wrayth and helped him to his feet- which Wrayth repaid by throwing both arms around Morro's neck and squeezing him in a hug.

"I can't believe it! The rumors are true!" Wrayth said excitedly. Morro, still somewhat in shock by the appearance of someone from his past, half raised his arms, as if not sure if he should reciprocate the hug or not. Before he could decide, Wrayth pulled away, though he kept both hands on Morro's shoulders as he appraised him, similar to how someone might greet a relative after not seeing them for an extended period of time. "Human again! I guess I shouldn't be surprised. If anyone could find a way to become human again, it would be you!"

Morro smiled faintly. "Yeah… I mean, you must have heard about the whole thing with the Yin Blade."

"Well, _duh_! It's all anybody ever talks about anymore! But, you know how stories getting passed around goes- you never know what to believe."

"Not to be rude," Zane prefaced, glancing conspicuously at the train. "But, we do need to embark before the train departs."

"Oh, you guys are headed into the city?" Wrayth asked. "That's where I'm going too! This is great! This way we can catch up, Morro!"

Morro couldn't help the way his eyes trailed to his teammates, none of which particularly _liked_ Wrayth, considering their history, but it also wasn't like he could deny Wrayth access to the train.

"Yeah, of course," Morro replied, heading toward the train as he tried not to meet the other ninja's eyes.

They entered the train that was surprisingly nice compared to the dismal station. The seats were plush and clean, and the entire color scheme was a pleasant blue color. Huge windows dominated either side, providing a nice view. Cole settled Lloyd in the seat beside him, leaning his little brother against him. Kai and Zane sat behind them while Jay and Nya sat across the aisle, leaving Morro and Wrayth behind them.

" _So_ ," Jay cut in, leaning over the back of his train seat to see the ghost sitting behind him. "I guess I'll have to be the one to ask, since apparently no one else will. Are you still, like, evil?"

"What?" Wrayth balked, grabbing his chest as if Jay had physically wounded him. "Ooh, are you guys still upset about that time I almost beat you?"

"Um, you did not almost beat us," Kai jumped in, quick to defend his reputation. "We dropped a water tower on you."

"By accident," Wrayth amended, earning a snort of laughter from Morro.

"Yeah, well, that's your opinion," Kai retorted, crossing his arms.

"Actually, that is a fact, Kai. We never intended to 'drop' the water tower on Wrayth. We did not even know that water could harm ghosts," Zane pointed out, earning laughter from both Wrayth and Morro.

Kai rolled his eyes at Zane's obliviousness. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Anyway, to answer your question, no, I'm not 'evil' anymore," Wrayth replied. To Morro, he said, "You should see us, Morro! You inspired us to be good!"

"'Us?'" Morro asked, straightening with surprise. "You mean…?"

"Yeah, Bansha, Ghoultar, the Soul Archer," Wrayth elaborated. "We really cleaned up our acts! We've got steady jobs, friends, a community- and it's all because of you!"

Morro blinked. "Wow."

"Can I just point out that you did try to pickpocket Morro ten minutes ago?" Nya deadpanned, also leaning over the back of her seat to fix Wrayth with a disbelieving look.

The ghost scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, you can't expect me to have _no_ fun, can you? Besides, how many times in my afterlife am I going to get to see what a human has in his pocket? I just never thought it would be _you_ , Morro!"

Morro sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the seat. "Yeah. Me either."

Wrayth looked up with a confused expression. "Speaking of which, what _are_ you doing here? Considering what we had to go through to find the Realm Crystal in the first place, I don't think you're supposed to use it without a good reason." He chuckled, as if the memories associated with the Realm Crystal and the Preeminent were fond ones.

Morro opened one eye. "Well, right now, we need to find Gem and Lydia and the Lost Souls." He closed his eyes again. "And then we're headed to the Bone Keeper's."

Wrayth gasped. "No, you can't go there! He hates you guys!"

"That's what _I_ said!" Jay chimed in.

"Well, can you blame him? You did kind of steal his Soul Stone- another thing that everyone's talking about," Wrayth shrugged sympathetically. "What makes you think he'll even help you? Wait… and what do you need from him anyway?"

"He'll help us, because we're going to get his Soul Stone," Morro replied. "And, we need him… for Lloyd."

"Lloyd?" Wrayth repeated. " _Oh_ , the little green one you possessed!"

"He's not little," Cole muttered, pulling Lloyd closer against his side as if to protect him and, ironically, making him look smaller.

"See, me and the others were just talking the other day about how crazy it is that you used to hate the ninja so much, and now you're teaming up with them!" Wrayth laughed as if Cole hadn't spoken. "I mean, the things you used to call them…"

Morro waved his hand to signal to Wrayth that he needed to stop talking. "I don't think we need to go dredging up ancient history…"

Kai, sharing a mischievous look with his fellow ninja, asked, "What _did_ Morro used to call us, Wrayth?"

"He used to say something like, 'I'm surprised these idiots can dress themselves in the morning.'"

Morro laughed nervously as he glanced at the others' murderous expressions. "I don't think I used the word _idiot_ …"

"Oh, right, it wasn't 'idiots!' It was 'imbeciles!'"

Morro groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Thank you, Wrayth."

The rest of the train trip was passed with more good-natured banter. The ninja had to admit that when Wrayth wasn't trying to kill them and turning wallipers into ghosts, he actually wasn't a bad guy to be around.

That being said, no one let their guards down.

By the time the train came screeching to a stop in the belly of the shiny, bustling city (that Morro and Wrayth explained had no name, since it was the only place worthy of being called a city in the Departed Realm. Therefore, it was just The City), night had fallen, though the billboards boasting neon lights and skyscrapers lit up all the way to their tips still made it seem as bright as day.

"Now, mind you, some people might love you guys now, but our little stint last time must have left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths," Morro explained as they carefully disembarked from the train, looking left and right before fully exiting as if expecting an ambush. "So, try to keep a low profile, yeah?"

"Um, we're _ninja_ ," Jay scoffed, as if offended Morro even had to warn them of that. He leaned against a nearby trash can to appear nonchalant. "Being sneaky is kind of our _thing_ \- woah!"

Jay, leaning too heavily on the trash can, knocked it over where it- and he- crashed to the ground with a clang that probably woke Master Wu all the way back in Ninjago. Wrayth cracked up laughing while the other ninja shook their heads in second hand embarrassment.

"Like I said," Morro said condescendingly as Jay picked himself- and his dignity- up off the ground. "Low profile."

"We will need lodging for the night, Morro," Zane pointed out.

"Don't worry, I've got that covered," Morro said, waving off the nindroid's concern as he began walking. "Time to cash in a favor."

"Where are you headed, Wrayth?" Kai asked, immediately suspicious when he saw that the ghost was following them.

"It's too late to take care of my business," Wrayth explained. "Might as well crash at the same place, right?"

Frowning, Kai hurried to Morro's side, pulling him slightly away. "Is bringing him along really such a good idea?" He hissed so Wrayth wouldn't overhear him.

"Wrayth?" Morro asked. "Trust me, he's harmless."

Cole, who was walking beside them, chimed in, "'Harmless' is not how I remember him."

"Yeah, because _I_ was telling him what to do then," Morro explained. "Look, he's a good guy, really, but all he knows how to do is follow orders. Don't worry about him." He glanced over his shoulder at the ghost currently explaining something to Jay and Nya. "Besides, I… kind of want to catch up with him. I haven't seen him in… a long time."

Zane cocked his head. "Excuse my confusion, Morro, but last time you spoke of Wrayth and the others, you denied that they were your friends and called them, 'a means to an end.'"

Morro looked sheepish. "Well, since I was trying to earn your trust, I wasn't about to go on and on about how great my evil henchmen were." He shrugged. "Besides, we _weren't_ \- aren't- friends, really. I mean we _were_ , sort of, when we were in the Cursed Realm, but- I don't know. Everything's different now." He sighed in exasperation. "It's complicated."

Kai shared a look with Cole and Zane, his gaze lingering especially on the very vulnerable Lloyd. Finally, he relented. "Fine. But, the second he gives me any reason to think he's still evil, I'm going to repay him for dragging me by his motorcycle." He cracked his knuckles to convey the seriousness of the threat.

"And, turning my walliper into a ghost," Cole added righteously, causing Kai to roll his eyes.

Morro smirked, inclining his head in acknowledgment. "Duly noted."

* * *

 **Now, THAT'S a blast from the past! Will Cole's walliper ever get justice?! Time will tell... ;D**

 **Also, fun anecdote: In the notes for this story, I abbreviate the Bone Keeper as BK... and then that just makes me think of Burger King XD (I'm not sure if you guys have Burger King where you live- if you don't, it's a fast food restaurant with a silly king as their mascot XD)**

 **Anyway, let me know what you think of Wrayth making an appearance! Thank you all SOOO much for reading, and I PROMISE I will EVENTUALLY get around to replying to reviews XD**

 **Know you are beautiful and loved! Have a great day! :D**


	7. A Gambling Man

**Hi, everyone! I am SO SO SO sorry for being late! I wasn't lying last chapter when I said this weekend was going to be crazy! :P Basically, my last major midterm is on Thursday, so if you guys could PLEASE just bear with me until then, I WILL reply to all the backlogged reviews! I AM SO SORRY! Everything has just been so insane and stressful the past few days D':**

 **But, you guys always make my day a little brighter! :D Thank you all SOOOO much for the love and support! I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading every one of your reviews and I will never be able to thank you guys enough! And, to make up for my tardiness, here's an EXTRA long chapter! :D**

 **Special thanks to: MightyShipper, FirstFandomFangirl, TheKittenQueen, RandomDragon2.0, Inimidesert, knAngel18, GameCubeGirl1, Wolfjem, Katla1, Ebony umbreon, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, ColeLoverGirl, TheYellowNinja, Plumcicle, 3, GalacticD0nuts, silverTimeTwin, thefiresensei, dragonpearlninja, FullMetalPon-3, Peanut2196, DarkRed101, Fxreflies, Rick Riordan1, DannyPhantomPhandom, Guest, Guest, Guest, lloydskywalkers, and KyraPlays for reviewing! I LOVE YOU ALL! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Aw, thank you so much! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: I love Wrayth being here too! ;D And, oh my goodness, I LOVE the image of Cole organizing an entire campaign for his walliper XD AND, a Cole/Walliper bonding story! XD That would be so adorable! :3 I cannot tell you how much I would love to see fanart of the Bone Keeper at Burger King XD We will see about reunions with dead loved ones! ;D I think she'll probably lose her job too XD Thank you sooooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Aw, thanks for understanding! I promise I'm working on it a little at a time, it's just that these last couple of weeks have been so crazy! And you telling me that you love my work and not to feel pressured just really means a lot to me :D Sometimes when you're stressed, the littlest things can just really mean the world to someone, so thank you for that :D I thought Morro would struggle with *sort of* saying bye to Wu again D: Don't worry, we'll definitely address all those possibilities! ;D Wow, California! How beautiful! Yep, I live in Texas! :D Aw, thank you so so so much for all of your encouragement! Once again, it always means more to me than I can put into words! Thank you so much! :D**

 **Plumcicle: I cannot tell you how much joy that brought me XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **3: That makes me SO happy, since I particularly loved writing that chapter! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Haha, c'mon, Cole really loved his walliper! XD Ooh, I LOVE how you compared Wrayth to a lost puppy! ;D Your senses are probably correct XD No, YOU rock to infinity! Thank you sooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: Amazing AND talented!? Oh my gosh, thank you SOOOO much! I *am* a little busy right now, but don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the Five Times! I'm hoping for sooner rather than later! :D Your favorite?! You are way WAY too kind! I love you too! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: Oh my gosh, now I feel like a BILLION bucks! XD I try to put a lot of myself into my stories, so it makes SO happy that that is shining through! Thank you so so so much for these lovely, lovely, lovely compliments! :D**

 **Guest: Haha, don't worry, being too excited to leave a review is compliment enough! XD Don't worry, the plot is DEFINITELY getting moving! XD Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"Beth! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Morro greeted as he marched confidently up to the front desk. He had led his team to a rather seedy looking hotel, and now the ninja and Wrayth were gathered in the lobby, feeling exposed in the large, open room. Cole tightened his grip on Lloyd on his back, and Kai, still suspicious of Wrayth, subtly moved between the ghost and the Green Ninja.

"Morro?!" The cute, freckled redhead at the counter exclaimed. "What are you- How-"

"That doesn't matter," Morro interrupted. "I need three rooms for the night."

Beth, recovering from her shock, pursed her lips. "Um, the way I remember it, I owe you _one_ favor. One favor gets you one room."

"Well, the way _I_ remember it, I scared off _three_ ghosts for you. Three ghosts gets me three rooms."

The two continued to negotiate, and the others watched anxiously, though they were too far away to hear what was being said.

Kai took the opportunity to sidle closer to Wrayth. "So, what exactly is this 'business' you have here in the city?"

Wrayth crossed his arms, though his tone only conveyed amusement. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, you know, just seems a little suspicious if you ask me. You following us to our hotel and all." Kai stated, examining his nails so as to come across as nonchalant.

Wrayth laughed. "Well, if you _must_ know, I'm collecting a debt for my employer." He nodded at Morro still haggling with the receptionist. "Besides, is it so wrong to want to catch up with an old friend?"

"Hm," Kai hummed disapprovingly, narrowing his eyes at the ghost. "Just know I'm watching you."

Wrayth winked. "Let me know if you like what you see."

Before Kai could come up with a suitable retort, Morro returned triumphantly holding up three keys.

"Each room only has one bed, though," he explained. "We'll have to share. And, one room's going to have three people in it."

Kai automatically swiped a key out of Morro's hand. "Nya and I will share." He fixed Jay with a knowing look and Jay quickly raised both hands as if to say, " _I didn't say anything_!"

Jay took a key from Morro then. "Then, I'll share with-"

"Morro, Lloyd, and I can share one room," Cole offered, gesturing at the Green Ninja on his back. "I doubt Lloyd will care that much."

Jay gaped. He tried to recover before anyone noticed and slapped a smile on his face. "Then, me and Zane!"

It wasn't that he was _disappointed_ to be rooming with Zane, but seeing as he and Cole were _best friends_ it just seemed natural that they would room together. But, Cole didn't even… _want_ to room with him.

It was like Morro was his first choice.

Morro glanced down at the remaining key in his hand before holding it out to Cole. "You go ahead." He smirked at Wrayth. "We've got some catching up to do."

The others nodded, leaving Morro with the ghost as they made their ways to their own rooms.

Morro raised an eyebrow at Wrayth. "Got a deck of cards?"

Wrayth laughed, pulling a beat up deck of cards out of his pocket. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"Hey, Nya…," Kai led in conversationally as he unstrapped his sword scabbard from around his waist.

"Yes…?" Nya asked as she perched on her side of the bed, not sure she liked Kai's tone.

"I was thinking. Since we're going to have the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone and all, after he fixes Lloyd, maybe we could…," he hesitantly met Nya's eyes, "get him to tell us where are parents are?"

Nya sighed. "We don't even know that they're dead, Kai."

"Exactly!" Kai exclaimed. "If they are here, we can go see them! If they're _not_ here, then we'll know they're alive!"

Nya hesitated. There was no denying she was curious about her parents…, but she couldn't help but feel that this particular course of action wouldn't be good for Kai. Sure, maybe they'd have the tearful reunion that Cole had gotten with his mother and Jay with his father, but what if they didn't? What if they did track down their parents, and they rejected the siblings, having left simply because they didn't want any children?

Nya was sure she could handle the rejection, but she was afraid it would break Kai, no matter how invincible he thought himself. And, she was not willing to risk the brother who had raised her for the possibility of parents who hadn't.

But, Kai was looking at her with such hope in his eyes…

"Maybe," she conceded, cursing herself for not being able to be stronger. "I think right now we should just focus on Lloyd, though."

"Well, obviously," Kai agreed, plopping down on the bed beside her so the lumpy mattress bucked. "I just wanted to at least bring it up. I mean, we tell each other everything, right?"

Nya suddenly saw flashes of Nadakhan, of herself doused with Tiger Widow venom, of her and Jay finding themselves in the repaired timeline everyone else remembered and swearing never to tell the others what had happened.

But, was it really a _secret_? It had never really happened; and if it had never happened, how could it be a secret? It was more like a dream than anything else, and she had no obligation to share all her dreams with Kai… right?

Happy with this justification even if she couldn't deny the part of her that felt dirty, she grinned and nodded. "Right!"

* * *

"I mean, it's not like Cole _has_ to hang out with me all the time, but you know, it's like I don't even exist anymore!" Jay fumed, tossing his nunchucks onto the desk before ripping off the more uncomfortable parts of his armor that he couldn't sleep in.

"Wait, I require clarification," Zane said, holding up his hands. "You are jealous of Morro's relationship with Cole?"

Jay whipped around, as if Zane's conclusion had burned him. "What? _No_. What would give you that idea?"

Zane rubbed the back of his head in confusion. "And, why is simply being honest with Cole about your feelings not a viable solution?"

Jay groaned before throwing himself face down on the bed. "Ugh."

Zane shook his head, at a loss. "I'm sorry I cannot be of more help, Jay. I'm not sure I understand the problem."

"It's okay," Jay muttered into the pillow so his words were barely comprehensible. "The worst part is it's not anybody's _fault_ , just… ugh. I don't know."

Zane clenched his fists in the comforter. He was a nindroid. He should be able to help. He should be able to _know_ what to do. He should… He should…

He should have been there for Lloyd.

He considered expressing his feelings to Jay… but his brother had more than enough problems of his own, clearly. Besides, Zane should be able to handle things on his own.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he sank lower in the bed, pulling the comforter over himself. He didn't need to burden anybody else with his own shortcomings.

Besides, he could handle it.

* * *

"We're almost there, Lloyd," Cole told his baby brother as he tucked him into the hotel bed. "Just a little bit longer, and then the Bone Keeper will be able to wake you up."

He froze then. Because, what if the Bone Keeper… _couldn't_ wake Lloyd up? They all had taken Morro's story for fact, but the wind master himself had admitted he had only heard the rumor second hand.

The amount of hope they had was dangerous. Sure, by being so positive Lloyd would wake up, they could act like themselves. They could joke around and tease each other and almost be the same as they were before, since it was only a matter of time before Lloyd woke up.

But, if he didn't. If he never did. After getting their hopes up so high, the fall would break them. Cole had no doubt the team would fracture, split up, never to be whole again.

Cole's eyes fell to Lloyd's face, perfectly innocent in sleep.

He chuckled ruefully, running his hand through Lloyd's bangs. "I promised you I wouldn't stop hoping, and I'm not. We'll see you soon, little brother. I know it."

Feeling suddenly exhausted and wanting to end the night on a hopeful note, Cole quickly moved to the other side of the bed and laid down. "Ha, and Morro's late, so he gets the floor."

* * *

"Gin!" Morro exclaimed, raising his arms in victory. "That makes it, what, _six_ wins in a row for me?"

Wrayth scoffed, throwing his hand at Morro so the cards bounced off his face and fell into his lap. "Yeah, well, everyone knows you're a cheater."

Morro gasped with mock-offense. "Me? A cheater?"

Wrayth fixed Morro with a knowing look.

Morro laughed, bending down to pick up the cards that had slipped to the floor. "Fine, I'll admit I cheated on the first five, but you dealt last time. Maybe you're just bad at this game."

The two of them laughed at that, but as Morro set the newly recovered cards on the table, he trailed off into silence. Noticing the sudden mood change, Wrayth cocked his head in askance.

"Listen, Wrayth…," Morro led in, his tone solemn. "After we got here, I… I should have looked for you and the others. It's just that, I needed to… be different. I needed to change _everything_ , and I didn't want to fall into old habits with you guys-"

Morro stopped when Wrayth threw another card that hit him squarely in the nose. "Geez, who knew becoming human again would have made you so soft?" The ghost laughed. "Look, I get it. We missed our fearless leader, but you had to do what was best for you. And, now we're walking the straight and narrow, too. Better late than never." He chuckled again.

Morro stared for a moment, as if gauging Wrayth's sincerity, before smiling and leaning back in the lobby armchair he was currently sitting in.

"But, those ninja," Wrayth continued, collecting all of the cards and shuffling them. "They… They treating you well?"

Morro didn't know what stopped him from answering right away. Maybe it was the pang of hurt he felt every time he thought about Lloyd sending him away on the mission that put him in a coma. Maybe it was the fact that he knew he was a burden to all of them with his reputation in Ninjago. Maybe it was the fact that being here with Wrayth now was reminding him of all those nights spent in the Cursed Realm, where, even though they were eternally imprisoned and miserable, the five of them had found a little glimmer of… of _hope_ , he supposed, in each other, and Morro got to be the beloved leader he knew he was meant to be…

Morro quickly nodded. "Yeah, of course."

Wrayth glanced at Morro uncertainly. He hummed in acknowledgment as he began dealing the cards, but the hesitation had been there and they both knew it.

* * *

Kai yawned, stretching his arms above his head as they ambled through the halls illuminated dimly by the morning sun shining through the dingy windows at either end. "I think Cole and Morro have kept us waiting long enough to justify Nya waking them up with a cold splash of water, don't you guys?" He asked Nya, Zane, and Jay who were walking behind him.

"With pleasure," Nya agreed, grinning.

"They're probably just having a _great_ time together," Jay grumbled, crossing his arms.

"This is their room," Zane announced, pointing at the door coming up on their right.

Kai banged on the door with his fist. "Alright, guys, c'mon-" Kai stopped short when the door creaked open a few inches, proving that it was not locked. Throwing it open the rest of the way, Kai stomped in. "Time to wake-"

Kai's eyes immediately fastened onto the blade at Lloyd's throat.

There were at least ten ghosts in the room, all wearing black and armed with deadly weapons. Morro had a gag in his mouth, his arms chained behind his back. Surprisingly, it looked like Wrayth had been gagged, chained, and thrown into the corner along with Morro. Two ghosts were dragging a similarly chained but obviously unconscious Cole into the corner as well.

The leader, presumably, pressed his dagger against Lloyd's throat and Kai, blood pounding in his ears, could barely stop himself from stomping forward and beating the ghost to a pulp for even _thinking_ about threatening his baby brother.

Four of the ghosts immediately moved forward to chain the remaining free ninja. With Lloyd at knife point, they didn't even consider resisting.

The leader smiled, showing off a mouth full of rotten teeth. "The Bone Keeper will see you now."

* * *

Cole started awake- before immediately grabbing the back of his head. " _Ooowww_ …" he moaned, prodding the lump he felt there.

"Cole!" Jay exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"Yeah," Cole agreed, blinking rapidly as he tried to take stock of his surroundings. Vengestone cuffs adorned his wrists, that much he could feel. The room they were in now was very dark- and the slight rocking motion suggested it wasn't a room at all, but a truck. "What… What happened? Where are we?"

"The Bone Keeper had us captured," Kai seethed. Cole could barely see him in the darkness, but he could imagine Kai's death glare well enough. "And, we can't even _try_ to escape, because they have Lloyd."

At the mention of Lloyd, Cole's memories came rushing back to him. A noise had woken him up, and he'd seen ten ghosts, at least, in his room. He and Morro had tried to fight to protect Lloyd, but Cole only remembered being overwhelmed before he'd sensed something careening toward his head- and then nothing.

"Where are we headed now?" He asked.

"Presumably to the Bone Keeper's," Zane answered. "I am sure he wishes to exact his revenge on us after we stole his Soul Stone."

Cole grimaced. If this was all about _that_ … then Cole, who was the one that had actually done the deed, was probably in for the harshest punishment out of all of them.

His eyebrows shot up when Zane continued though. "I apologize that you have been dragged into this, Wrayth."

"Wrayth?" Cole repeated, searching the dim space. He spotted a very faintly glowing body and wondered how he had missed it before. "You're here?"

"I guess the Bone Keeper doesn't take kindly to those whose socialize with his worst enemies," Wrayth replied wryly.

"What's he going to do to us?" Jay asked, sounding as nervous as Cole felt.

"Look, just remember this," Morro said, blatantly not answering Jay's question and only succeeding in making them more nervous. "Above all, the Bone Keeper is a businessman. He'll negotiate if the price is right."

Just as Morro finished saying this, the truck lumbered to a stop, making the seven occupants in the truck pitch forward. Not a moment later, the door was thrown open, and the piercing sunlight made them cry out and cover their eyes after being trapped in darkness for so long.

When their eyes adjusted, they saw the same leader with the rotten teeth grinning at them. A particularly large ghost stood just behind him, Lloyd draped over his shoulder- and a knife in his other hand that was entirely too close to Lloyd's throat.

"Get out," the leader growled, jerking his head. "Or, the green one gets it."

One by one, the ninja and Wrayth hopped down from the eighteen wheeler. Looking around, they found themselves at the foot of the Bone Keeper's iconic casino. Seeing as it was day time, the neon letters spelling out "The Bone Keeper's" were not lit up, and the space around it was not completely clogged with vehicles just yet. Beyond the casino and the small collection of rundown buildings clustered around it, the desert stretched and rolled until well past the horizon in every direction.

The leader jerked his head toward the double doors, which the bouncers were already holding open. "Get moving."

Seeing as they were chained and Lloyd was at the complete mercy of the thug, the seven prisoners marched single file up the stairs and into the Bone Keeper's office.

"On your knees," the leader growled, and they begrudgingly knelt on the dark purple carpet in front of the Bone Keeper's huge desk, that was oddly completely clear.

The reason for this became obvious when the huge thug stepped forward and set Lloyd none too gently on his back on the desktop.

The desk chair swiveled around, and the Bone Keeper, grinning as usual, stood up and straightened his immaculate pin striped suit.

"Well!" He clapped his hands by way of greeting, his eyes running over the seven people kneeling before him, most of whom were not meeting his eyes. "My favorite customers!"

He rested his glowing blue hand fondly on Lloyd's head, causing the ninja to stiffen, even if they didn't dare rush him.

The Bone Keeper continued, listing on his fingers. "And, by favorite, I mean those who betrayed my trust that we could settle a simple business deal like adults, stabbed me, ripped my Soul Stone out of my body, caused me to get mercilessly beaten by their enemies, and then topped it off by giving my Soul Stone away to some _whore_ -"

Jay, an angry blush marring his freckled cheeks, began to struggle to his feet. "Don't talk about my mother-"

One of the Bone Keeper's thugs hit Jay in the back of the head, causing him to crumple to the ground. No one dared to intervene lest they meet the same fate, though their glares were potent enough to make a lesser ghost faint. Jay settled on his knees, clutching his throbbing head.

The Bone Keeper slowly and deliberately walked around his desk and approached Jay. He knelt down in front of the blue ninja, who was still wincing in pain but managed to maintain a sneer.

"I would be careful if I were you, Jay," the Bone Keeper said quietly, patting the lightning master's head. Jay tried to jerk away. "Unlike us ghosts, you humans are very…," he smirked, "destructible."

"Are you going to take our Soul Stones or not?" Nya demanded from farther down the line, mostly to get the heat off Jay.

The Bone Keeper turned to her incredulously, as if a more outrageous suggestion did not exist. " _Take_? I would never take what is not mine," this was said with a pointed look at Cole, who looked away. "What I take, I earn. No, I will not take your Soul Stones."

He straightened, clasping his hands behind his back, and began pacing in front of them. "No, right now, what I desire is information. After making so many enemies in the Departed Realm- including me, who would know your _exact_ location at the moment you arrived here- _why_ would you come back? If there is something so urgent that it requires the ninja's attention, then I want to be the first to know."

The ninja shared uneasy looks with each other. Finally, Morro spoke up. "We came to make a deal with you." He nodded at the desk behind the Bone Keeper. "For Lloyd."

The Bone Keeper raised an interested eyebrow, moving back behind his desk to study the Green Ninja once again. "Ah, yes. My associates said he was rather sleepy."

"He's in a coma," Morro explained. "And, I know you can wake him up."

The Bone Keeper laughed, patting Lloyd's chest. "That is very interesting indeed. Very valuable information as well."

"Well?" Kai demanded impatiently. "Can you do it or not?"

The Bone Keeper, with one last chuckle, shrugged helplessly. "I cannot."

Fear and despair and horror and every other negative emotion known to man pierced the ninja's chests.

"But, the guy with the black magic," Morro insisted, not ready to give up just yet. "You woke him up. _You_ did."

"I did not," the Bone Keeper argued calmly. "His wife did."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "But…?"

"I can only enter someone's mind with their consent," the Bone Keeper elaborated. He gestured at the Green Ninja. "Lloyd, in this state, cannot possibly give me consent." He raised a finger. "But," he pointed at the ninja. "But, I can enter _your_ minds, and _you_ can enter Lloyd's mind."

The six of them gaped. Nya sputtered, "But… how is that even possible?"

"In the mindscape, there are very few rules. All minds are connected. I can lead you to Lloyd's mind, and you can enter it. Lloyd is in a coma; he's withdrawn into himself, lost. If you can find him in his own mind and snap him out of it, he'll wake up."

"Okay, okay, okay," Kai waved his chained hands in front of him. "I don't care about the physics or how impossible it is or _whatever_. We'll do it."

The Bone Keeper raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? The mindscape is a very dangerous place. You might not even make it back, and you'll be left in the same sad state as poor, little Lloyd here."

Kai shook his head. "I don't care. We'll do anything."

The Bone Keeper straightened, fixing Kai with a snakelike grin, and the red ninja couldn't help but recoil. " _Anything_? That's my favorite word!"

The blue ghost sat in his swivel chair once again. "There is the small matter of my payment. In return, I want…," he smirked. "All of your Soul Stones."

The ninja gasped. Morro shook his head vehemently. "That's not a fair deal, and you _know_ it."

The Bone Keeper sighed. "Let's say, after last time, you have very, very bad credit. If I am going to do such a monumental task with the very real possibility of getting _screwed_ , then I need sufficient payment. Seven Soul Stones."

"Well, what if we say no?" Jay asked, laughing nervously. "What if we leave and come back with your Soul Stone? Then you'd _have_ to do it."

The ninja thought they had him beat there, but the Bone Keeper only chuckled. "Though using my Soul Stone might compel me to enter your minds, that is where its hold over me ends. As I said, there are very few rules in the mindscape. I cannot enter Lloyd's mind, but I can lead you to him. If you compel me to enter your minds with my Soul Stone, I will lead you astray so that you will never find your way out, reducing all of you to vegetables."

There was a moment of silence.

"Bone Keeper," Zane spoke up for the first time. "You own a casino."

The ghost smiled. "How very astute! Yes, I do."

Zane continued calmly. "So, am I correct in assuming that you are a gambling man?"

The Bone Keeper interlocked his fingers, bridging them above the desk and leaning forward on his elbows. "You are."

"Then, I propose a wager," Zane announced, unabashed by his teammates' nervous glances. "With such a large prize to be won, it only seems fair to give us a chance to win it. If we get lost in the mindscape, our Soul Stones are yours. If we get out, then we walk free."

The Bone Keeper clicked his tongue. "Why would I want the Soul Stones of a bunch of vegetables? No, you're going to need to sweeten the pot. How about…?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out an ornate pocket watch. "You're free if you get out _in time_. If you don't… you're mine."

"How long do we have?" Morro demanded.

"One hour." The Bone Keeper answered. Suddenly, he pointed at Wrayth. "You. You watch the clock to ensure I don't cheat."

Glancing warily at the others as if regretting he had ever gotten involved in their business, Wrayth stood and accepted the Bone Keeper's pocket watch.

"One hour?" Cole hissed at the others. "That's not very long."

"Remember, time moves differently in the mindscape," Zane whispered back. "Last time the Bone Keeper entered our minds, it felt like ten minutes or so to us, while in actually only one and a half had passed."

"One last thing," Kai said to the Bone Keeper. "If we fail… Lloyd goes free. He had no say in this, so it's not fair if he has to give up his Soul Stone."

The Bone Keeper's eyes dropped to the Green Ninja for a moment before raising to look at Kai once again. "Very well. Six Soul Stones. One hour. But, I have to warn you… there are many things you have to work through in your own mind before you can pass into someone else's. I will guide you, but the path may be more difficult than you think. Do you still agree to the terms?"

The ninja looked at each other. They had no idea what was waiting for them in the mindscape. They had no idea if they even could "find" Lloyd, let alone in one hour. They had no idea if they would wake up at all.

But, their baby brother was lying comatose on a desk.

One by one, down the line they nodded until finally they looked at Morro.

Morro looked directly at the Bone Keeper and nodded.

"Yes."

The Bone Keeper snapped his fingers.

* * *

 **UH OH! Making deals with the Bone Keeper is never a good idea and this seems like a particularly bad one! XD**

 **I was originally going to cut this in half, but I figured I owed you guys one XD Feel free to ask any questions if you're confused (though, I think things will become clearer as the story goes on.) :D I WILL reply to all the reviews, hopefully some throughout the week and DEFINITELY after Thursday :D**

 **Never forget that you are priceless and irreplaceable! I love you! :D**


	8. The There and Then

**Thank you all soooo much for being so understanding and supportive! My midterms are finally OVER, so I plan to answer all the backlogged reviews tonight! You guys are all just so awesome and amazing and I'll never be able to sufficiently express my gratitude for all your kind words! :D**

 **Special thanks to: RandomDragon2.0, Peanut2196, GameCubeGirl1, FullMetalPon-3, Ebony umbreon, thefiresensei, Katla1, GalacticD0nuts, MightyShipper, silverTimeTwin, NinjagymnastgirlK, Inimidesert, FirstFandomFangirl, dragonpearlninja, ColeLoverGirl, TheYellowNinja, Guest, Rick Riordan1, Fxreflies, and KyraPlays for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **ColeLoverGirl: I think it's safe to say he gets on everyone's nerves XD Yes, I promise all of your questions will be answered eventually! ;D And poor Lloyd really did have no say in this XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yep, the ninja are definitely desperate! And, BK (XD) is DEFINITELY not someone you want to gamble with! (He owns a CASINO for Pete's sake!) Don't worry, we will continue to explore Zane's emotional state and the friction between Jay, Cole, and Morro ;D Aw, thank you so much for saying that. That really means a lot to me, just because I have been so busy and stressed! You have always been so kind to me (since I've ever started posting on here!) and I don't think I could even fully explain how much I appreciate all the support and encouragement :D Good luck on your work too! AP World History?! Don't worry, I survived that class and you will too XD No, I've never been to California, but I would LOVE to go sometime! It seems like a really beautiful place! Thank you sooooooo much for your amazingly kind reviews :D**

 **Guest: "Favorite fanfiction series of all time?!" Aw, you are WAY too kind! Yes, although some chapters are slower than others, I really do try to move the plot ahead a little each chapter so we get some action XD AND, the plot moves smoothly?! Thank you so so so much for all of your lovely, lovely compliments! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: "Masterpiece?!" You're making me blush! XD Jealous Jay fits perfectly with all the angst and terror!? That is GREAT to hear! Thank you so so much! I love you too! XD**

* * *

Jay dashed into the main room of the trailer, carefully holding the toy plane- the toy plane that _he_ had invented (well, he had only ripped apart one of his old toy planes and put it back together again, but he had done it _all by himself_ without _any_ instructions, so he thought that counted as inventing it himself) that actually _flew_ (he had tested it)- in both hands.

"Ma!" He called. "Ma! Come look!"

As he rushed into the room, he tripped over one of the toy trains he had left sitting out (even though his dad had told him to put them away) and fell flat on his face, but he managed to protect his plane from harm by holding both hands above his head.

"What is it, Jay?" His mother asked, coming into the room.

Jay hopped to his feet and rushed up to her, pushing the toy plane at her insistently. "Look, Ma, look, I invented this so now I'm just like you and dad and it actually flies because I tested it in my room and can I please go fly it in the park, _pleeeeaaase_?"

"Of course, sweetie," She replied, laughing. "But, it's a little chilly out there, so promise me you'll wear your scarf."

In response, Jay bounded over to the coat rack by the door and pulled off the burnt orange scarf that his mom had knit for him for his last birthday. He refused to leave the house without it if there was even a slight breeze.

"ThanksbyeMaloveyou!" Jay called out in one breath as he sprinted out the door.

Jay knew the route to the park by heart. He tried to go as often as he could to make friends with the other kids there. He hadn't been successful yet (they told him he talked too much, they told him he liked lame things, they told him he was dirty because he lived in a junkyard, but that was okay. He took every mean thing they said and and locked it away in a little box in his chest so it wouldn't hurt so much, and then he tried again.)

But, _now_. Now with something as cool as his very own _invention_ , of course everyone would have to like him. Jay could see it now: he'd be flying his plane without a care in the world, like it was no big deal, like he invented toys like this all the time, and all the other kids would gather around him and go "ooh" and "aah." And, they'd beg Jay to play with them, and he'd shrug and say "sure," like he couldn't care less, and he'd be the coolest kid in the neighborhood in no time!

Jay, arriving at the park now, quickly picked a clear spot and, nearly bursting with excitement, began flying his plane with the remote control. Just like in his bedroom, the toy plane took off from the ground and started soaring through the air, exactly like any toy plane he could buy from the store.

It was only a matter of time until the new friends started pouring in. It _was_ a little chilly, though, and if he hadn't been on such an important mission, he might have gone home. As it was, he tucked his face into the orange scarf that somehow always smelled faintly of his mother's perfume and admired the red and orange trees as his plane weaved around them.

Finally, it _happened_. Granted, the four boys that approached Jay on their bikes were a little older than Jay had imagined, but he would take whatever he could get.

"Hey, don't I know you?" The boy in front asked, leaning on his handlebars.

"I don't think so! I'm Jay!" He chirped, holding out the hand not holding the remote control like his dad taught him. "What's your name?"

Suddenly, one of the other boys in the back snapped his fingers. "Yeah, I know him! It's the junkyard kid!"

Jay winced at the nickname, letting his hand drop. He tucked his face further into scarf, but, endlessly determined, pushed forward. "Well, um, yeah, but… look! I invented this! You want to see?"

The boys shared a look with each other before the one in front shrugged. "Sure."

(And, that's how Jay knew he was cool- shrugging and saying "sure" like it was no big deal- so Jay really hoped he didn't mess this up.)

Jay guided his plane gently to the ground and scooped it up, holding it out to the older boys. "See, I-"

The boy closest to him snatched the toy out of his hand to admire it. "Yeah, this is pretty cool! Hey, let's see it fly!"

Jay grinned. Finally, _finally_ , another kid cared about the things _he_ liked, thought _he_ was cool. He held up the remote control. "Okay! It-"

"Here, Neil, catch!" The boy exclaimed, tossing the plane to Neil, who let his bike drop so he could catch the toy.

"Wait!" Jay squeaked, trying and failing to grab the plane the much taller boys were throwing to one another and laughing. He didn't want to ruin the friendship before it even started, but the toy wasn't meant to be thrown around like a football and Jay had spent _hours_ on it. "Don't- Don't _break_ -"

One of the boys dropped the plane where it clattered to the ground. Jay gasped, covering his eyes so he couldn't see the damage that was done to it.

"Oh, it's not broken," Neil reassured. Jay, hope rising in his chest, uncovered his eyes and almost sighed in relief-

Neil raised his foot and stomped on the plane, shattering it.

They laughed.

" _Now_ , it's broken."

Jay stared down at the pile of plane parts that, moments ago, had been his most prized possession in the history of the world. He didn't want to cry, but he couldn't help the burning feeling in his eyes. He tried to wipe the tears away before they fell, but the boys- the _bullies_ \- noticed anyway.

"Oh, look, the junkyard kid's crying!" Neil pointed out, inciting even more laughter.

He didn't know where the feeling came from. His cheeks were burning red hot with anger, and he was shaking, his fists clenched. Suddenly, he just wanted to _hit_ something, and so he shoved Neil.

"My name is _Jay_!"

And, then Jay realized what a terrible mistake he had made.

He was so weak, Neil hadn't even budged, but now instead of laughing at him, the bullies were staring at him like the cat in the junkyard stared at a rat before she pounced.

He turned on his heel and tried to run, but Neil grabbed his arm and yanked him backward. Jay cried out, feeling like something ripped in his arm, but he forgot about that pain as the four much bigger boys gathered around him.

Immediately, one punched him in the gut. Jay doubled over and felt like he was going to throw up, but they didn't let him go.

"Now, are you going to apologize for pushing me or not?" Neil demanded.

"I'm sorry," Jay wheezed, unable to draw air.

The next punch hit him squarely in the face, white hot pain exploding in his cheek. "I can't _hear_ you!"

"I'm sorry," Jay sobbed, wishing he wasn't crying, wishing he wasn't so scared, wishing his mom or dad would appear and take him home. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Oh my gosh," Neil laughed, finally letting Jay go. "He's so _lame_. What a baby."

The bullies laughed as they began climbing back onto their bikes, and though he thought all the mean things they had done to him today couldn't even begin to fit in the little box inside his chest, he only felt relief that they were leaving.

Until Neil gave him one last push, knocking Jay completely off his feet so he collided face first with one of the trees he had been admiring earlier.

"See you later, _junkyard kid_."

Jay could still hear their laughter ringing in his ears as they drove away.

He laid there for a moment, still crying pathetically. Eventually, he raised his hand to his eyebrow, where there was a sharp stinging that hadn't gone away-

And felt wetness there.

Pulling his hand away, he saw his fingertips were bright red.

Crying more out of panic than pain now, Jay hurriedly stuffed the broken plane parts into his pockets (because he couldn't leave his first invention behind, even if it was ruined) and ran home without stopping once, pressing his orange scarf to his eyebrow to stop the bleeding.

"Ma!" Jay shouted as he burst into the trailer. "Ma! Help!"

His mom came rushing into the room, scooped Jay up in her arms and bundled him into the bathroom. Before he could even blink, she had put about twenty seven bandaids over his cut and dried his tears to boot.

"What happened to you, Jay?" She asked softly, turning his face slightly so she could inspect his swollen cheek.

He could tell her about the bullies. His parents would no doubt want to know who they were, and then they'd want to meet with the bullies' parents, and, of course, hear an apology. They would never want him to leave the house again, and Jay wouldn't either since a forced apology would only make them want to beat up Jay more. Not to mention the fact that he'd be the laughing stock of the whole town and _never_ make any friends.

Jay smiled.

"I just fell, Ma! I fell down that really big hill in the park with all those trees and rocks on it. You know how clumsy and dumb I am. I even lost my plane. I looked for it forever and couldn't find it. I'm sorry."

His mother clucked her tongue, smoothing down Jay's hair fondly. "You have to be more careful, Jay. You're going to get yourself killed one of these days!"

Sighing, she removed the bloody scarf from around his neck. Jay whined, reaching for the only thing that had comforted him through the entire experience.

"It's ruined, Jay," she told him, stuffing the orange scarf in the trash can. "Don't worry, honey. I'll make you a new one in a jiffy!"

Jay, still staring after his scarf longingly, felt new tears pushing at his eyes even as he thanked his mother and walked out of the bathroom. They had destroyed his plane and his scarf, and they weren't even going to get in trouble for it. They were mean and nasty, and yet each of them had three best friends. Jay was nice- he tried _so hard_ to be nice- and he didn't have one friend in the entire world.

Sometimes, life was just so unfair.

Suddenly, Jay came upon a door that he was one hundred percent sure didn't exist in his house. It made sense- it was the end of the memory-

Wait, _memory_? No, no, he could feel the pain still tingling in his forehead and cheek and stomach. He could hear his mom humming while she cleaned up the bathroom behind him. This was happening, here, now-

But, something wasn't right.

Something was off, _different_ than it had been before, and that something was telling Jay to open the door.

Though he normally would have been terrified, Jay felt strangely calm as he twisted the door knob and opened-

* * *

Jay- the sixteen year old, blue ninja, lightning master Jay- stepped into a small room.

Suddenly, it all came rushing back to him: Lloyd, the Bone Keeper, being inside their minds. Someway, somehow, Jay had relived a memory of the first time he had met his childhood bullies.

Dazedly, he raised a hand to the scar across his eyebrow that he gotten that day, still feeling the echo of pain there. He closed his eyes, feeling tears pushing at his eyelids even after all these years. He _hated_ the fact that the memory still affected him so much, _hated_ the fact that the bullies still had so much power over him.

Even though Jay had thought keeping silent about the encounter would end the abuse, he had been wrong. Neil and his buddies (Ronnie, Alex, and Henry) terrorized Jay throughout his childhood, and seeing their faces so fresh in his mind again evoked a kind of deep hurt and anger in his chest that none of their other enemies had ever been able to bring forth, like the little box where he kept all the insults and beatings had just been pried open without any hope of getting it shut again.

He had to stop thinking about it.

Trying to get his mind off the memory, Jay surveyed his surroundings. The room was very small, maybe slightly bigger than a broom closet. There were six identical doors surrounding the room at perfect intervals, including the one he was standing in front of. There was no sign of the others.

Okay, okay, Jay could figure this out without panicking. The door he had just come out of contained a memory (though he had no way of knowing if he would experience the same memory- or a memory at all- if he reentered the room now. Not that he would even risk living through _that_ again.) Okay, so it stood to reason that the others were experiencing a memory too. Six doors, six ninja. Made sense.

So, if he entered one of the doors, would he see one of his brothers' memories?

He knew he shouldn't pry, considering he would have died of humiliation if _anybody_ had seen his memory, but he was way too jittery to sit here and do _nothing_. He could wait and hope that one of the others appeared, but for all he knew the others were already miles ahead of him in the mindscape.

Besides, part of him hadn't wanted to open the door leading him out of his memory. What if the others decided not to? What if they needed his help? What if this was part of the test?

Before he could psych himself out, Jay ripped open the door to his right and stepped through.

* * *

"See ya, Cole!"

"Bye."

Cole waved at his friend, who was leaving with her mom, before resuming his position of elbows on his knees, chin in his hands. He was sitting on the front steps of his dance school. There had been a performance, and though his dad usually came to every single one, the Royal Blacksmiths had a gig already scheduled in the town over and so he hadn't been able to come.

But, his mom had promised to be there.

He had looked for her while he was performing with his group. When she had dropped him off earlier, she had said, "Of _course_ I'll be there, baby. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He thought she might have just been in the back. Maybe he just hadn't seen her.

But, the performance had ended a long time ago, and here he was still at the school with no one to pick him up.

Sighing and feeling sorry for himself, he watched the sun disappear behind the houses. How long _had_ it been? Surely his mom would remember to pick him up before it got dark.

Right?

Glancing at the school, he saw that all of the other kids were gone, having driven off with their parents a long time ago. The teachers, who always stayed until the last kid left, were looking at him and starting to whisper to each other.

Cole felt sweat prickle on his palms. If his mom was late because of the bottle, the teachers _couldn't_ call her. She was _different_ with the bottle, and they would be able to tell.

Hopping to his feet, Cole smiled and waved at nothing.

"There's my mom down the street!" He told the teachers, already running off before they could stop him. "Bye! See you next week!"

Cole didn't stop running until he had rounded the street corner, hoping the teachers hadn't caught on to the fact that no one was waiting for him.

Stopping to catch his breath, he looked up at the endless rows of houses. He knew he didn't live very far away- his mom usually walked him to and from the school- but… he couldn't remember the name of the street. Or the number of his house.

He shook his head, slapping a smile on his face like he did when he was on stage. It was no big deal. He would definitely know it when he saw it. And, he remembered how to get there.

Sort of.

Confident that he could find his way home, he started marching down the street.

He seemed to walk for hours.

He kept waiting for some landmark to look familiar as he turned down the roads he thought were right, waiting to recognize the house of his friend from down the street, waiting for his mom to appear on the next street and explain that she had thought the performance was at _eight_ , not _six_.

The sun was setting really fast too; almost as soon as Cole started, everything seemed to be covered in shadows, making him a little afraid that even if he was looking at his house, he wouldn't be able to recognize it in the darkness.

Besides, his parents always warned him about going outside alone. Especially at night. There were strangers, bad people who would _kidnap_ him and _hurt_ him and so he wasn't supposed to walk alone.

Did that mean there were strangers here now? It _was_ getting really dark. Nobody would even notice if someone in a white van grabbed him and threw him inside.

Cole gasped when he heard a noise behind him, freezing in place. He squinted in the darkness but couldn't see anything- any _body_. He started walking again, faster this time, feeling his heart beating _really_ , _really_ fast in his chest.

Why did the strangers take the kids anyway? What did they _do_ to the kids? Would they cut him? Break his arm?

Would they _kill_ him?

Fear exploded in Cole's stomach, and he began walking faster, even as he started chewing on his sleeve. But, _now_ , now, he had been so worried about the strangers, he hadn't even been paying attention to where he was going. Had he passed his house? Was he even close?

Suddenly, Cole was blinded by a car's headlights as it drove down the street. Cole gasped, pressing himself against a fence and hoping it wasn't a white van with a stranger inside coming to kill him.

Cole squeezed his eyes shut as the car came closer. _Please keep driving, please keep driving…_

The car stopped right beside him, and Cole was just about to start running for his life.

" _Cole_?!"

Cole's eyes popped open to see-

His dad.

Not a stranger.

His _dad_.

Cole burst into tears.

His dad hugged him and asked him if he was okay, but all Cole could do was bury his face in his dad's suit jacket because he was just _so_ _happy_ that he was here, that Cole was safe and going _home_.

By the time Cole was only sniffling instead of bawling, his dad buckled him into the backseat of the car and drove them home.

The car ride was longer than it took to get home from the school- meaning that Cole had walked a very long way in the wrong direction- but Cole didn't say anything at all, because he could tell that his dad was very, very mad.

But, not at him. It was the same as the time his dad had come home after midnight to find Cole still awake and crying because Mommy hadn't made dinner and he was so hungry. Or like the time his dad had to use tweezers to pick glass out of Cole's hand because Mommy had broken one of her bottles and forgotten to clean it up.

His dad held his hand as he walked them inside the house-

To see his mom, sleeping on the couch with a bottle in her hand.

His dad slammed the door behind them with a _bang_ , and his mom woke up with a start.

"Do you have to be so _loud_ , Lou?" She demanded, struggling to sit up on the couch. She squinted at them, as if she couldn't see them even though they weren't that far away.

"I got a call from Cole's school, Corrine," his dad said calmly. It was scarier than his dad yelling. "We had to cancel our performance so I could come home and find our _son_ wandering the streets aimlessly in the dark!"

His mom grabbed her head and closed her eyes, like she was trying to think. "Wh...what…? No, no, I still have time… The performance isn't until six..."

"It's _nine o'clock_ at night, Corrine!"

She winced at the volume before finally focusing her eyes on Cole, still holding his dad's hand and watching the fight silently.

"Cole, you're okay, aren't you, baby?" She asked, holding her arms open for a hug.

Cole went to give her one- when his dad tightened his grip on his hand and held him back.

"Go get ready for bed, Cole," his dad said tightly, still looking at Corrine who was glaring back at him. "I'll come say goodnight to you in a minute, okay?"

Cole, glancing one last time at his mom, nodded and hurried down the hallway, knowing that his dad wasn't going to say goodnight to him. He always forgot when they fought, and his prediction came true when, after brushing his teeth and putting his pajamas on and laying sleeplessly in bed to the tune of yelling, he heard the door to his parents' bedroom slam shut.

A moment later, his mom came into his room. He knew she'd been crying.

"Hey, baby," she greeted softly, sitting on the edge of his bed and stroking his hair. "I'm so sorry about missing your performance."

Cole sat up and hugged her. "It's okay, Mommy."

Part of him wanted to tell her it _wasn't_ okay, tell her how upset he had been when he realized she wasn't there, how scared he had been walking home.

But, he couldn't, because then she would cry, and he just didn't want her to cry anymore.

His mom hugged him back and kissed the top of his head. "You're too good to me, Cole." Pulling away, she smiled. "How about I go cut us a huge slice of cake and we eat it in here without telling Daddy? Does that sound good?"

Cole grinned, the first time he had smiled- not the fake smile he wore when he danced but a _real_ smile- all night. He nodded. "Yeah!"

His mom laughed and stood up. "Be right back, baby."

Cole watched his mom leave, nearly exploding with the anticipation of eating _sweet_ , _delectable_ , _amazing_ cake-

When he noticed a door in his room.

The door. The _door_. He needed to go through it, right? It seemed like the right thing to do. Then again, his mother was coming back with cake for them to share…

But, there _was_ something… not right here. It was something he couldn't quite name, but this… wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Cautiously, Cole stood and inched toward the door. Placing his hand on the knob, he twisted-

* * *

Cole and Jay stumbled through the door and into the closet-room with all the other doors.

Jay quickly turned to Cole. Though the image of five year old Cole in pajamas that said "I Rock" with a picture of a rock on them was _adorable_ , Jay was more than happy to see his fully grown brother in his black ninja gi beside him.

Neither of them spoke right away. Cole, because he was gathering his bearings like Jay had and probably reeling with emotional turmoil. Jay, because… he didn't know what to say.

Finally, Cole glanced at Jay before looking away again.

"You saw all that?"

Jay hesitated… then nodded. He had watched the entire memory like it was a TV show, unable to interfere but a prisoner to its ups and downs. His heart had almost broken while he watched five year old Cole try to find his own way home and get progressively more terrified. He had wanted nothing more than to rush forward, scoop Cole up in his arms, and carry him home himself, but he was little more than a ghost in the memory. Jay couldn't speak to or touch anyone. Only watch.

"Yeah," he replied verbally before shifting uncomfortably. "Cole-"

"She's a good person," Cole insisted, finally meeting Jay's eyes.

"I know," Jay reassured, though it was more or less a lie. Jay couldn't even begin to describe the rage he had felt when he had seen that Corrine had forgotten Cole at school just so she could get drunk. She _knew_ she had a responsibility, she _knew_ Cole was counting on her to be there, and yet she had still chosen to drink and forget about him.

And, though Cole recognized these things, Jay knew his brother would never see what he had seen in that memory. Whereas Cole saw his mother coming to ask for forgiveness and sharing a piece of cake with her, Jay saw a woman desperately trying to buy her son's love with sweets and sincere but ultimately empty apologies.

And, it had worked. Even after reliving _that_ memory, it was clear that Corrine could do no wrong in Cole's eyes. Heck, after she had _died_ , Cole had immediately blamed himself rather than ever consider for one moment that she had been the one at fault.

"Jay, really," Cole went on, sensing that his brother didn't believe him. "How she is now. That's how she really is."

"I know, Cole," Jay repeated, even though he didn't think he would ever look at Corrine the same way again. Or Cole for that matter. He knew his brother had always been strong, but he'd never known that Cole had not only been taking care of himself for a long time, but other people too. He was the one reassuring his mother, forgiving her, doing anything at all to stop her from crying, when it should have been the other way around.

Jay continued, "I… I didn't mean to… invade your privacy like that. I had no idea what was going to happen when I opened that door."

"It's okay," Cole told him, though he was studying his hands now, as if wanting to chew on his sleeve like he had in the memory. "Just… don't tell the others. I don't want them to… think of her like that."

Jay squeezed his arm. "Okay."

Cole cleared his throat and glanced about the room again. "So, um, the others are… in their own memories?"

"Yeah, I guess," Jay replied, shrugging. "I don't know if we should try-"

Suddenly, both Kai and Nya stumbled out of the door that was two doors away from Cole's.

The two pairs blinked at each other for a moment before reconvening in the center of the room, as if to reassure themselves of each other's presence, trying to convince themselves of the here and now, rather than the there and then.

"Are you guys okay?" Jay asked, glancing back and forth between the two siblings and trying to figure out whose memory they'd just come out of.

Kai and Nya shared a look.

* * *

 **We'll discover the meaning of that look next chapter XD Sooo, I hope you guys enjoyed a little peek into Cole's and Jay's childhoods! (I mean, with a title like Forgotten Memory, you know we had to spend some time on childhood memories XD) Once again, if you're confused about what's going on, feel free to ask questions, but I think things will get more clear as time goes on :D**

 **Fun anecdote: So, I keep seeing this ad for some educational/tutoring service and at the end it's like "help your child discover their full potential." And, then I just imagine all these kids in these classrooms unlocking their true potentials like the ninja, and it's an image that makes me laugh every time XD Anyway, you guys probably didn't find it as funny as I did, but I still thought I'd share XD**

 **You are an incredible person and don't ever forget it! :D**


	9. A Second Chance

**I AM SO SORRY I'M LATE! Ugh, I thought things were going to get EASIER after midterms but there's still so much work to do D': Anyway, I apologize again for the late update, but I hope you guys enjoy the chapter regardless! (And, hey, on the bright side, you don't have to wait as long for the next update! (Hopefully -_-;))**

 **And, I know I sound like a broken record, but I PROMISE I will get around to replying to reviews!**

 **Special thanks to: FirstFandomFangirl, Fires of Darkness, Katla1, RandomDragon2.0, FullMetalPon-3, KyraPlays, Ebony umbreon, TheKittenQueen, Wolfjem, MightyShipper, GameCubeGirl1, PrairieSkies, thefiresensei, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, Plumcicle, Inimidesert, silverTimeTwin, dragonpearlninja, Peanut2196, Echo15, Fxreflies, WindNinja333, and Rick Riordan1 for reviewing! I cannot begin to tell you guys how much all your reviews mean to me! :D**

 **MightyShipper: You cried?! That makes me so happy! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Oh my gosh. You got EXACTLY what I was going for- and I mean EXACTLY- with showing how their memories affected their personalities! Oh my goodness, I am SO HAPPY right now! :D I AM SO GLAD YOU GOT EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING FOR! Yay, I'm so glad you didn't find that format *too* confusing! I really wanted to make this story a lot different from the previous two, so here's where that got us XD Gee, CHERISH doesn't even come close to describing how much I love your reviews! I mean, you ALWAYS support me so much and you always make me feel like I'm on top of the world! It is a HUGE honor to be your favorite fanfic author and I hope I don't disappoint you! :D Ooh, you're right! With my late update, it's my fanfic anniversary! I can't believe it's been a whole year! Hm... what do you think I should do to celebrate? Post a special story? Do a raffle of some sort? I have no idea, I've never done this before XD Let me know what you think! Thank you so so so so so much! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Haha, Jay could TOTALLY kick their butts now XD And, yeah, we are invading the characters' privacy, but such is the nature of fanfic XD I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter too! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Believe me, there is an absolute TON more angst to come ;D We'll see Morro's soon ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Echo15: Haha, yeah, it only seems fair that Cole should get to see Jay's XD Funny you mention Skybound... ;D "Unexplainably happy?!" Thank you soooo much for your super nice review! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: "Speechless?!" Oh my gosh, that is a HUGE compliment! I LOVED writing Jay's and Cole's memories, so I'm so happy you liked them too! And, I'm glad you found the fun anecdote as amusing as I did XD Thank you so so so much! Your review really means the world to me! :D**

* * *

Her chest was on fire.

Searing flames were trailing along her rib cage, reaching deep into her lungs, engulfing her heart until it hurt when it beat, when she breathed, when she _lived_.

There was Jay. He was saying something. She needed him. She needed him to _know_.

"Jay…"

She reached for him. It was all she could do. Just reach for him.

"Nya!" Jay was coming to her. Good. That was all she wanted. To tell him. To _tell_ him. "The poison hit you too!"

She couldn't hold herself up anymore. Even as she fell, she could feel the poison coursing through her body, its heat scorching her insides.

Jay caught her. She tried to revel in his warmth, in his presence, tried to close her eyes and imagine herself in his arms forever but it was getting hard to feel anything but the pain.

Zane was saying something. Her brothers were here too. Kai. Was Kai there? She had to say goodbye to Kai too… She had so much to do…

Nadakhan said something next. Right. Nadakhan. The wish. Jay had to make the wish.

"You have to make your last wish. You're the only one who can stop him." It was so hard to talk. But, she knew Jay wouldn't do it unless she pushed him, knew Jay would throw away the whole world for her. Why hadn't she known that before? Why had she thought it was such a terrible thing to want to throw away the world for someone else?

"No…" Jay protested, hugging her closer. "Not if that means losing you."

Nya smiled. Jay. _Jay_. She had to make it easier for him. "I never wanted to be a part of your boys' club anyway."

Her hand was heavy, but she forced it to move, let her fingers trail over his face one last time. He was beautiful in every way, and if he was the last thing she saw, then no, that really wouldn't be so bad.

"No, Nya, don't say that!" Jay demanded, his breathing picking up as he begged her with those electric blue eyes not to go. She didn't want to go. Why hadn't she told him that? She had never wanted to leave him. She should have held him close when she had the chance.

That reminded her of all those books she read, those movies she'd watched. It was funny that she was reminded of them now, but it was hard to breathe and she could feel her heartbeat slowing down and Jay was right there and she needed to tell him she loved him-

"I guess it's true," she forced out, forced herself to smile for Jay's sake as tears filled his eyes. "The greatest love stories always do end in tragedy…"

Her chest was on fire and yet darkness was sweeping over her vision. She squinted to keep Jay in her sight, begged the fire in her chest to give her just a little more time…

She knew it was futile but she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she had had a second chance. If she got the chance to do it over. To try again. To do it _right_.

She would hold Jay close. She'd hold him so close that she couldn't let him go again if she tried and she would do it _right_.

She'd know what life was. She'd know what love was. She would know this time and she promised she would do it right if she just had one more chance to prove it…

...one more chance…

... _Jay_ …

…

…

…

 _Bright_.

Too bright.

Too bright and too loud and too much, it was too _much_ , being alive was so much more than being dead, it was _too much_...

Then, she saw.

The rooftop. They were back on the rooftop.

They were _back_.

A second chance.

A second chance.

A second chance to do it _right_.

"Nya," Jay called to her from the billboard, and already from the way he was looking at her, she knew he remembered. "Take my hand."

Jay.

Jay had brought her back.

Jay had given her a second chance.

She used Airjitzu to reach him, unable to wait a moment longer to touch him, know him, _hold_ him again to make sure that this was real and she wasn't living in the paradise after death where everything she had wanted was there in front of her, where she had gotten a second chance.

She took his hand. She would take his hand a thousand times and never hesitate again.

When their feet were firmly on the ground again, she said hurriedly, breathlessly, "I remember." She remembered, she _remembered_ , she promised she remembered the mistakes she had made and she wouldn't make them again. Not when she knew- really _knew_ \- what she had to lose. "I remember it all."

"I do too!" Jay told her excitedly, the same joy of seeing her again overflowing from his eyes, voice, body as he held her, his fingertips burning her like the poison had. But, it was a gentle flame, a flame that gave life instead of took it away- more like lightning than fire- and she held him tighter. "But, how?"

"Who cares?"

She didn't. She didn't care at all. Normally she would have been searching for the answer, questioning everything and experimenting and researching to know the logic and science behind this miracle-

But, she just didn't care. Because Jay was here with her and really, that was all that mattered. All that had ever mattered even if she hadn't known it.

She pressed her lips to his, letting his electricity bring her back to life and telling him she knew, she knew, she _knew_ what they had and she was going to do it right this time.

It was a long time before they pulled away, and once they did, all she wanted to do what was pull him close again-

But, over his shoulder, there was a door.

A random, illogical, isolated door standing erect on the rooftop that no one else seemed to notice. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized that this _wasn't_ real, that this really just was the illusion her dying mind had concocted to make her passing a little bit easier and now it was time to go…

That didn't seem quite right, though. She didn't know how she knew, couldn't explain it, but the door was something else. It was more real, and somehow she knew it would take her _toward_ Jay, not away from him.

Looking back at Jay one last time, at his bright blue eyes and freckled cheeks and love that had always, _always_ been there- been there so long that she hadn't even been able to recognize it for what it was- she headed toward the door and walked through.

* * *

Nya immediately grabbed her chest, still feeling the phantom burning of the Tiger Widow's venom. She gasped for breath and tried to hold back her tears.

She had died. _Died_. She had died and it was almost every other night that she woke up gasping for breath, remembering the sting of the poison and the fear- a potent, primal fear that no one alive had ever experienced except her- and the knowledge that she was leaving Jay forever. When she couldn't get back to sleep, she laid there in the dark, wondering if any of this was real or if this was just the afterlife she had been thrust into, a perverted region of the Departed Realm that kept its inhabitants trapped in simultaneously wonderful and terrible illusions.

But, this had been different. She hadn't just watched her death but _relived_ it. She hadn't just seen herself die but _felt_ herself die.

Yet… seeing Jay again on that rooftop. Realizing that she had been given a second chance. That type of relief and joy came only once in a lifetime and it was almost worth the pain.

After pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes for a minute to compose herself, she blinked and looked around. Lloyd. Lloyd needed her to pull herself together.

Six doors. Six doors. Where did she go next? Were the others here? Were they each reliving something as horrible as she was?

If she could get to them first. If she could stop that from happening, be there to comfort them if she couldn't…

Still feeling a bit dazed and not quite like herself, Nya turned to the left and opened the next door.

* * *

"Ha, gotcha!"

"No, you didn't!"

Kai groaned, readying his weapon- or rather, his perfume bottle- as he aimed for Nya again. They _technically_ weren't supposed to be playing in their foster par- er… guardians' bedroom, but when three of the other four kids in the house were sick in bed with the flu and Mrs. Porter was too distracted to punish them, when else were they going to get this opportunity?

After snooping through the drawers and jumping up and down on the bed for a while, it was only a matter of time before a game presented itself. Kai had spotted the pink perfume bottle, and it had gone on from there.

Nya had currently barricaded herself on the queen bed behind two pillows. Kai, narrowing his eyes, jumped on the bed so the pillows fell over and quickly aimed and sprayed before Nya could recover.

"Ah!" Nya shouted, signalling that Kai had in fact nailed her with the perfume.

"Ha!" Kai cheered in victory, dropping onto the bed and clutching the pink bottle to his chest. "Ha, I got you! I win!"

"Fine, you win," Nya admitted sullenly, crossing her arms. "You don't have to be a jerk about it."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Well, you don't have to be a baby about it."

Instead of retorting, Nya frowned, touching her neck where the perfume had hit her. "Hm. It kind of tingles."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He had no idea what perfume was supposed to be like, so out of curiosity, he sprayed the back of his hand. He waited a few seconds, but no tingling. "No, it doesn't. It doesn't feel like anything."

"Huh." Nya shrugged. "Whatever. My turn!"

Kai obediently relinquished the pink perfume bottle before diving off the bed and running for cover.

The game only went on for a few minutes though before Nya started coughing.

Kai peeked out from behind the door he was currently hiding behind, cautious in case this was a trap. The perfume bottle was hanging limply from Nya's hand, though, while she doubled over coughing.

"Nya?" Kai asked, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Nya gasped out, rubbing her neck. She straightened, taking a deep breath. "I'm okay."

"Are you su-"

Before Kai could even finish the question, his little sister was coughing again, dropping the perfume bottle altogether as she tried to catch her breath. Kai held onto her arm, his heart already picking up speed.

"Are you sick?" He asked worriedly. "Did you catch the flu?"

"I don't-" Nya coughed again. "I don't know. It's-It's hard to breathe, Kai."

"Okay, okay, don't worry," Kai told her, helping her sit down on the floor, though it felt like he was telling himself that more than Nya. "I'll go get Mrs. Porter, okay? Be right back."

Kai rushed out of the room and into the bedroom that the sick kids had taken over. They weren't supposed to go in there because Mrs. Porter didn't want them catching the flu, but this was obviously an emergency.

"Mrs. Porter?" Kai asked, tugging on his guardian's pant leg as she leaned over Jamie's bed and pressed a wet towel to his face. "Mrs. Porter, you need to come see Nya."

"Kai?" Mrs. Porter replied distractedly, not looking away from Jamie's flushed face. "Kai, get out of here! I told you not to come in here!"

"But, Nya-"

"If you two are fighting, I need you to sort it out," Mrs. Porter interrupted, helping Jamie sit up as he started coughing. On the other side of the room, Gabby started crying.

"No, listen!" Kai snapped. "It's Nya! Something's _wrong_ with her!"

"Kai, I'm asking you to watch your sister for one afternoon," Mrs. Porter retorted, obviously still not listening despite Kai's demand. "Do you think you can do that for me?"

Kai clenched his fists. What was she _talking_ about? Kai took care of Nya _every_ afternoon. It wasn't like Mr. or Mrs. Porter was going to do it with four other kids in the house to pay attention to.

His mom and dad would have-

Kai shook his head. Couldn't think like that. Nya needed him.

Realizing he wasn't going to get through to Mrs. Porter, Kai decided to go and check on Nya while he thought of what to do.

"Nya?" Kai called as he jogged back into the master bedroom. "Are you-"

Nya was gasping for breath, tears running down her face as she scratched furiously at her neck.

"Nya, stop!" Kai yelled, sliding into a kneeling position beside her and wrestling her hands away from her neck-

Hives. Angry red hives crawling up and down and her neck. Right where the perfume had hit her.

Right where _Kai_ had hit her with the perfume.

"Kai," Nya whimpered between gasps. "Kai, I can't- I can't- I can't breathe…"

In that moment, Kai made a decision. If Mrs. Porter wasn't going to do anything about it, then he was.

Bending down, he wrapped his arms around Nya.

"Hold on, Nya," he said softly, huffing as he struggled to lift her. Sure, Nya was two years younger, but he still wasn't that much bigger than her. He sighed in relief as Nya's arms tightened around his neck and her legs around his waist as he hugged her close to his chest. "You're going to be okay, Nya. Just hold on and don't let go, okay?"

With Mrs. Porter so distracted and three of the four other foster kids confined to the bedroom (and the fourth one nowhere to be found), getting out of the house unnoticed wasn't hard. Ignacia wasn't a huge village, and Kai knew the clinic wasn't far.

But, Nya was _heavy_.

Kai's arms were already burning as he hurried down the street with his little sister in his grasp. He tried to tighten his arms around Nya as much as he could so he wouldn't drop her and then loosened them so Nya could breathe and then tightened them again when he felt her slipping. Listening to Nya's coughs and gasps and cries in his ear were even worse somehow, and Kai wished, wished, _wished_ he could take her pain away.

"It hurts, Kai…"

"I know, Nya," he reassured breathlessly, trying to quicken his pace even though Nya was slowing him down considerably. "Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

Kai was in real danger of dropping Nya by the time he reached the clinic. His arms were jelly, quivering with exertion- but Nya was sobbing and gasping and she _couldn't breathe_ -

"Help!" Kai shouted as he burst into the clinic, Nya slipping to the ground even as he begged someone to _fix her_. "Help my sister _please_!"

It was chaos after that.

Nurses were trying to take Nya away and Kai was trying to go with her but they told him he couldn't go and they were saying something like "severe allergic reaction" - why hadn't he known she was allergic? His parents would have known, his parents should have _been_ there- and he was crying as the nurse held him back-

Kai was looking at his blotchy, red face in the mirror. They told him to go to the bathroom and wash his face and calm down. He turned the water on in the sink and let it run. He didn't like water.

His mom liked water.

Nya liked water.

Nya was all he had left.

"Please," he said out loud. He hadn't really meant to say it out loud- only think it- but it felt better to say it out loud so he kept going. "Please don't die, Nya. I promise I'll be a better big brother and never hurt you again. I promise I'll take care of you forever and ever and never let anything happen to you ever again."

A sob caught in his throat and he wiped his face with the back of his hand. "I'm s-s-sorry, Nya, I'm so sorry, but please don't die. I don't wanna be alone…"

Kai hurriedly washed his face after that to try to stop the crying. Once he caught his breath, he turned to leave the bathroom and find out if Nya was okay yet-

But that door. It wasn't the same door he had come in. It was a plain wood door with a gold colored door knob.

He felt… He felt like he was supposed to go through it.

But, _Nya_ … Nya needed him. He needed to know if she was okay…

But, that door. He was supposed to go through that door.

Silently telling Nya he was sorry one last time, Kai wrenched the door open-

* * *

Nya and Kai stepped back into the small room with the doors.

And, unlike last time, it wasn't empty.

Cole. _Jay_. She squeezed Jay's hand, trying to convince herself he was real.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked, looking back and forth between her and Kai.

Nya turned to Kai. He was already looking at her, his eyes wet with tears. It had been almost as hard watching Kai carry her so far, beg the pitiless world for her life, as it had been to die herself in her own memory.

"I don't remember that," she said quietly. Sure, she knew she was allergic to perfume, but it was only because Kai had always told her that, warning her pretty much every time they passed a perfume store to stay away. It never even occurred to her to ask how he knew.

"I don't want to remember it," Kai replied, his jaw tight as he looked away.

"What… happened?" Cole asked hesitantly, caught between wanting to comfort his siblings and not wanting to pry.

"Nothing," Kai barked, crossing his arms as if that would protect him from the memory. As Nya watched him run his fingers up and down his arms, though, she wondered if maybe he was still feeling the strain from carrying her all that distance.

Nya reached out a hand toward him. "Kai-"

"I don't want to talk about it," he snapped at her.

Almost immediately, though, as if realizing who exactly he was talking to, he turned and hugged her, crushing her against his muscled chest.

"I'm sorry," he said into her ear, his voice catching.

Nya realized that he wasn't apologizing for snapping at her.

He was apologizing for spraying her with the perfume ten years ago.

"Don't you dare say that to me," she said gently despite the intensity of her words, hugging him back. "You… Kai…"

Because how could she put into words how much what Kai did meant to her? How could she possibly begin to describe what having a brother that would go to the ends of the earth for her and farther meant to her?

Kai was… Kai…

Deserved to know the truth.

Even as she and Jay had promised never to tell the others, Nya had known that Kai, especially, would have wanted to know about Nadakhan, about the Tiger Widow's venom. No matter how much it would hurt her to tell him or how much it would hurt him to hear it, Nya knew that he would want to know, that she should _tell_ him.

She couldn't tell him now- not when Lloyd was in dire need of saving and with Jay and Cole standing right there and not before she had a chance to discuss with Jay their decision to keep the secret- but she would. And maybe after Kai realized what it taken to tell him, he would understand how much every time he had taken care of her- every hug and smile and "I love you"- meant to her.

Kai pulled away, taking a deep breath. Nya smiled at him, and he offered a little smile in return.

Cole cleared his throat and changed the subject to give the siblings the emotional reprieve they needed. He looked around at the six doors surrounding them. "So… what? All of us are reliving a memory or something?"

"An upsetting memory," Jay grumbled, apparently being able to deduce as much from Kai and Nya's behavior. Nya couldn't deny the fact that she was curious about the memories the others had relived, even if she had to afford them the same privacy they were affording her.

"Zane and Morro?" Kai asked, making a clear effort to slip back into his usual self and let the memory slip back into the back of his mind where it had lived all these years. "You think they're still in theirs?"

"Unless one of them went into the other's," Nya pointed out. "Or…, you think they could have gone into one of ours without us in there?"

"Only one way to find out," Kai replied, picking one of the only two remaining doors.

Cole held up his hands. "Wait, Kai, maybe-"

But, Kai had already gone through, and, desperate not to be separated again, the other three ninja rushed after him.

* * *

 **Sooo, whose memory will we see next? :D**

 **Also, TheYellowNinja reminded me that today is my Fanfic Anniversary! I joined the site exactly one year ago today, and I honestly can't believe it's been so long! Thank you a million times to everyone that has supported me! Posting on here has made me so much happier than I imagined and really helped me grow as a writer, both in skill and confidence :D (It's also cool because it's almost exactly six months away from my birthday (one week off) so it's sort of like my half birthday celebration XD)**

 **Hm... not sure when I'll have time, but maybe I should do something special to celebrate it...? Anybody have any ideas? :D**

 **I love you all so much and I'll never be able to thank you enough! :D**


	10. Life's Not Fair

**Okay, well... This is quickly becoming a pattern -_-; I'm super busy with this semester, but also, more with this story than both Lost Soul and Broken Circle, I'm finding a lot of things I want to change as I go along XD Soooo, I end up taking way longer to post -_-;**

 **SO, I apologize for the tardiness and the lack of review replies! Thank you all for bearing with me, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :D**

 **Special thanks to FullMetalPon-3, TheKittenQueen, Katla1, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, Drawkill Vear and Lyracan, RandomDragon2.0, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, MightyShipper, Ebony umbreon, Wolfjem, Inimidesert, WindNinja333, PrairieSkies, Plumcicle, Perosn, Rick Riordan1, KyraPlays, thefiresensei, FlightoftheFury, dragonpearlninja, and Fxreflies! I love you all! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Wow, time really flies! Oh, I DEFINITELY feel like we have a lot in common! I mean, being birthday twins has to mean SOMETHING, right? XD Haha, yeah, by the time I got around to do anything, my anniversary would be waaaay past XD Thank you so much for always being so understanding! :3 Oh, thank you so much! Having the characters' thoughts translate into their actions and words is VERY important to me, as I find focusing on characters' motives and intentions suuuper interesting and important. YES, exactly! I really love exploring why characters are the way they are, so that's a lot of what I've been trying to accomplish with these childhood memories! I love your reviews so much, and I don't think I can even TELL you how much you sticking with me this entire year means to me! Thank you sooooo much! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Wow, that's awesome! Poor Kai D': I can't imagine him having to watch Nya suffer like that D': (Well, obviously I can since I wrote about it, but... you know what I mean XD) I remember that part! It was sooo funny XD Ooh, and I definitely have been seeing those things about Season 10! I am SUPER excited (but if anything happens to Cole... Let's just say I will not be a happy camper XD) Yeah, I've definitely been thinking about it, but I'm not sure time management is in my favor :/ Ooh, I think you should definitely get an account! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **MightyShipper: Aw, I'm sorry my chapter makes you want to cry, but thank you for saying it was good! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Ooh, good idea! Thanks for the suggestion and for reviewing! :D**

 **Perosn: Aw, it makes me SO happy you've been enjoying the memories! (I was a little nervous about doing something so drastically different from the previous two stories XD) Yep, I've finished up my midterms, but the projects and essays aren't going away anytime soon D': Thank you so so much for reviewing and the support! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Oh my gosh, thank you so much! :D Yes, Jay DEFINITELY needs buckets of hugs and kisses! XD Haha, Kai definitely is a fire dork XD Great idea! Thank you so much for you review and all your lovely compliments! They really mean the world to me! (And I promise I haven't forgotten about the Five Times! ;D)**

* * *

"Here you go, Father," Zane said, handing his father a steaming cup of tea he'd prepared from tea leaves Master Wu had let him borrow. His father, lying in bed with his glasses on the nightstand beside him, squinted at his son before accepting the cup of tea.

"Thank you, Zane," he said before coughing. It was a loud, wet cough originating from somewhere deep in his lungs. Zane laid a hand on his shoulder to steady his father (and himself) until the fit had subsided.

Hands trembling, Dr. Julien carefully took a sip of tea before handing it back to Zane, who set it on the nightstand.

"You are very welcome," Zane said warmly, helping his father lay down. "Now, you need to sleep."

Dr. Julien obediently rested his head on the pillow Zane was fluffing up for him. Smiling fondly at his son, he remarked, "I don't think I could have created you to be any more perfect if I tried."

Zane started at the non-sequitur, brow furrowed as he looked down at his bedridden inventor. "Well, thank you, Father, but… but saying unwarranted compliments without preamble is usually a trait of a dying person, and you are not dying."

"Zane," Dr. Julien said knowingly.

"You mustn't think that way," Zane insisted, shaking his head. "Research shows that a positive outlook alone can-"

"Zane," Dr. Julien repeated, reaching out to take his son's synthetic human hand in his own wrinkled one. "Zane, you and I both know I don't have much time left. I want you to know-"

"This is not goodbye," Zane interrupted uncharacteristically, feeling tears beginning to collect on his eyelids. "This is not goodbye."

"No, not goodbye. Never goodbye," Dr. Julien reassured, pulling gently on Zane's hand. "Please, son, will you sit down?"

Zane, never one to defy his father, sat in the chair by his bedside, where he had spent most of the last few days keeping vigil over the old man.

"Zane, you have been and always will be the greatest thing in my life," Dr. Julien told the nindroid as Zane used his unoccupied hand to wipe the tears leaking down his face. "You know, when I first had the idea to create a companion, I never imagined I would care for it so much. I gave you the ability to move and then to speak… but over the years, I kept wanting to give you _more_ , like any father I suppose. It wasn't enough for you to _think_ , but you had to _feel_ , and it wasn't enough for you to _feel_ , but you had to _love_."

Dr. Julien smiled, squeezing Zane's hand. "Somewhere along the way, you weren't my invention anymore. You were my son, and so I loved you the moment you opened your eyes."

Zane placed his other hand on top of Dr. Julien's. "I know I can love, Father, because if I could not, this would not hurt so much."

"Don't grieve for too long, Zane," Dr. Julien said quietly, his eyes falling shut as he struggled to stay awake. "You're going to do great things…"

"Father-" Zane stopped himself when he saw that Dr. Julien had fallen asleep. Sighing fondly, Zane leaned back in the chair to wait, still holding his father's hand.

Time passed.

Zane could watch the numbers growing on his internal clock. The sun receded and then stretched across the floor.

His father's hand grew cold in his grasp.

Zane knew he should check. He needed to check. He already knew- of course he knew- _his chest was completely still_ \- but he needed to check because he knew he was supposed to check-

But, he couldn't move. His joints were frozen, his muscles petrified, his brain stuck repeating the same thoughts- _he wasn't breathing, he was too cold_ \- and he could not move-

It wasn't like not checking was going to _change_ \- but- couldn't- because if he didn't check, it wasn't _real_ , and so he just stayed frozen with his father's hand in his because that way he was still… he was still…

It had been ninety three days, seventeen hours, twenty minutes and twelve seconds since they had found Dr. Julien in the lighthouse. Roughly three months. Three months with his father. Three months. Not enough time. Not enough _time_ …

Time? Right, time was passing now. He could almost hear it. _Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock_ …

He had to check. He _had_ to check. Moving stiffly, Zane reached his hand toward his father's chest, placing it right over where his heart was beating.

Should have been beating.

Zane couldn't quite remember how he got outside, but somehow he was huddling in the snow, shaking so badly he could barely click on the first brother in his phone. When Cole answered, Zane couldn't get any of his words to come out right, like all the wires in his head had been crossed and now each word had been assigned a different definition in a code he couldn't begin to unscramble- and then Cole told him to slow down and tell him why he was crying- and only then did Zane realize that somehow he hadn't even known he'd been crying, which seemed awfully concerning since he considered himself to have a very firm grasp on his faculties at all times.

Finally, Cole told him to wait right there and not move because they were coming to get him, and without so much as a noise of confirmation, Zane hung up the phone.

He waited.

Suddenly, there was a door that shouldn't have- couldn't have- been there.

The white ninja wasted no time. He couldn't stay in this _memory_ , in this _place_ , with- with _out_ his father one moment longer.

So, he stood and rushed to the door, ripping it open and stepping through without so much as a second thought.

* * *

Cole, Jay, Kai, and Nya all shared a look as they reappeared in the small room with the six doors. Zane was standing in the center, his back turned to them, and they couldn't tell if he was trying to compose himself or trying to come to a conclusion about their situation. Probably both.

"Did you guys know about any of that?" Kai whispered, using his hand to block his voice from the nindroid.

Cole shook his head. "I had no idea that Zane had been sitting with Dr. Julien for so long. When he called, I thought he had _just_ died."

"Don't you guys remember? Zane was… really distant and… kind of _cold_ toward us for a long time after his dad died," Nya reminded them. "I don't think he ever talked to anyone about it."

Suddenly, the white ninja turned on his heel.

He was smiling.

"So, we are all reliving a memory, I presume?" Zane asked cheerfully. "Considering Morro is not with you four, I can only assume he is still experiencing his, yes?"

The other four ninja shared another glance. It was… almost _eerie_ how jovial Zane was being after reliving the death of his father.

"Zane," Jay led in uncertainly. "You know, if you want to talk-"

"There is no time to talk," Zane interrupted with the same courteous, pleasant tone he had been using previously. "We are here to search for Lloyd, and we have only a limited time to do so. I suggest we continue."

Knowing the white ninja was only acting happy to dissuade the others from pressing the issue, the others couldn't deny that he was right about one thing: they had a time limit.

"Okay, then we need to get Morro," Kai announced, reaching for the only door no one had entered.

"Maybe we should just wait for him," Nya suggested.

"We can't just wait!" Kai protested. "We have no idea how long he'll take! But, we _do_ know that he'll come out if we go in."

"You know he'll kill us if he finds out we went in there, right?" Jay pointed out nervously. This was true; Morro was an extremely private and guarded person, and the ninja seeing him at his most vulnerable was certainly something worth killing over.

"Besides," Jay continued. "What if… we see something really bad?"

Cole frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we know Morro did a lot of bad things in his life. What if we see him… you know, _hurting_ someone?"

"It doesn't matter," Cole replied immediately, his tone suggesting he was offended Jay had even brought it up. "We told Morro he's our brother no matter what. We forgave him for who he was, and seeing whatever's behind that door doesn't change anything."

"I _know_ that," Jay retorted irritably. It wasn't that Cole wasn't right in what he was saying, but for some reason, it really _bugged_ him that Cole was so quick to defend Morro. Maybe it was because the faces of his bullies were fresh in his mind, that time when he had zero friends in the entire world was fresh in his mind, the feeling that he was completely _alone_ was fresh in his mind, and seeing Cole go to bat for Morro just reminded Jay that he was losing his place as Cole's best friend. Crossing his arms, he turned slightly away. "I just thought I'd, you know _,_ bring it up. No reason to get all up in arms about it."

Cole recoiled, shocked by Jay's tone. "I-I wasn't getting 'all up in arms' about _anything_! What's been _up_ with you lately?"

"Nothing's up with me," Jay replied immediately. "I just-"

"Alright, you two can go to marriage counseling after we get out of here," Kai interrupted with an exasperated tone. "Now, can we go?"

Cole and Jay glared at each other a moment longer before they both nodded.

Kai opened the door.

* * *

He breathed into his gloved hands, trying to warm up his numb fingers. The gloves were threadbare and full of holes, but they were a _little_ better than nothing.

Finally, he spotted a brave soul that had chosen to weather the harsh elements. He was walking with a purpose, his trench coat flapping behind him, his face tucked into his collar to protect it from the icy wind.

The six year old rushed out from his alleyway, directly into the man's path.

"Please, sir," he begged, clasping his hands together in a show of desperation. "Can you help me? I lost my mom, and-"

"Get out of here, kid," the man snapped, pushing roughly past him. "I don't have time for street rats."

Though the nickname stung, the child was not deterred. He caught up to the man, grabbing onto his trench coat and pulling on it.

"Please, sir," he implored with a sniffle, beginning to cry. "I can't find my mommy. Please help-"

The man snarled, using one hand to shove the kid off of him. He tumbled to the ground, crying out as he landed gracelessly on the ice cold sidewalk.

The man continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, leaving the child sobbing into his hands on the instant the man disappeared around the corner, though, the child's crocodile tears disappeared with no evidence that they'd ever been there. Still looking warily down the street, as if afraid the man would reappear, he pulled out the wallet he had easily lifted from the man's pocket.

"Yes!" He cheered, successfully pulling out a handful of bills. He hopped to his feet, threw the wallet over his shoulder like it was trash, and rushed down the street.

He went straight to one of the only restaurants where he knew they wouldn't ask questions about where the money came from and so was one of the few restaurants that would serve street rats. Barely able to contain his excitement (and the anticipation of relieving the ache in his stomach), he pushed the door open.

"-and so my daddy bought this brand new coat for me! Isn't it just to die for?!"

He almost couldn't stop the eyeroll.

 _Miranda_.

The prissy little rich girl and her crony, Ryann. They were certainly too rich to be hanging around _these_ parts, if the thick blue coat with white fur trimmings and silk hair ribbons were anything to go off of. Yet, here they were, sitting at the bar and nursing mugs of hot chocolate (what he wouldn't give to try _that_ , just once) and complaining as if they had something to complain about.

As soon as he clambered up onto the last bar stool at the counter- as far away from _them_ as possible- Miranda swivelled around, her piercing green eyes immediately fixating on him, and Ryann watched wide-eyed, waiting to see what her idol would do.

"Ugh, I thought I smelled something," Miranda snapped, fixing the orphan with a glare full of absolute disgust.

He glared right back.

"Trash cans are in the back, you know."

Although his blood was boiling, he only smirked as he pulled the bills out of his pocket, slamming them down on the counter like he owned the place. The slight widening of her eyes was victory enough- not really, though. Nothing was ever really _enough_ \- and she huffed and turned back to Ryann, most likely to complain about him.

The owner came shuffling over to him, inspecting his money for a moment before nodding and disappearing into the back. A moment later, he came back with a bowl full of pale colored soup, and the child wasted no time in scarfing it down, barely able to stop from moaning as the warm liquid filled his stomach.

"Anyway, then my mommy was all, like, 'you have to stop buying her things at the drop of a hat! You're going to spoil her!' I mean, can you believe she actually _said_ that?!"

"No way!"

Spoiled. Spoiled was when you had everything you could ever want. To never have to fight for anything, to never go without. Spoiled was not knowing that one of your silk hair ribbons could feed an orphan for a month.

"She's always so mean to me. She's always, like, 'clean your room, practice the piano.' Why can't she just leave me alone?"

A room. A piano. A mom.

"I just _hate_ her!"

Whatever. Parents were dumb anyway. It didn't matter if having a mom you hate was better than having no mom at all. He didn't need one. He survived without one.

Using his spoon to skim the curve of the bowl, ensuring that he got every last morsel of soup, he reluctantly held the bowl out to the restaurant owner.

"More!" He chirped, knowing he had more than enough money for another bowl.

"Ugh, 'more, more, more,'" Miranda mimicked derisively, as if she had been waiting for the opportunity to engage the street rat yet again. Laughing cruelly, she continued, "That's all I ever hear you say. You better be careful or else we'll start calling you 'Morro.'"

The child clenched his fists, aiming the most potent death glare at Miranda he could muster. "That's not my name!"

"Then, what is it?"

He looked away.

"Oh, that's right," Miranda laughed. "You don't have one."

"Shut up!" He snapped. "You better shut up, or I'll pound you! I don't care if you are a girl."

She hopped off her bar stool, Ryann following suit almost immediately, and sauntered over to the orphan, her hands on her hips (covered with the light blue coat with the white fur trim that looked so, so warm…)

"Aw, what's the matter, _Morro_?" She asked mockingly. "Mad your mommy didn't love you enough to give you a name?"

The orphan hopped off the bar stool immediately, anger burning in his chest. Miranda was a little bit older and a little bit bigger, but he didn't hesitate to step up and show her he wasn't intimidated by her in the slightest.

"You take that back," he growled.

"Take what back, _Morro_?" She asked, smirking, enjoying how she was getting under his skin. Maybe that's what rich kids had to do. They had everything they ever wanted so they had to be mean just to stop from being bored. "You should thank me. I gave you a name, _Morro_."

"I said, quit it!" He tried desperately to keep the anger in his chest from exploding, knowing it could only get him into trouble.

It didn't work. "You're spoiled rotten, and you deserve a good beating."

A furious blush rose to Miranda's cheeks. She threw a glance over her shoulder at the restaurant owner, who had his back turned to the childish drama playing out in his restaurant. Before the street rat could decipher the meaning of the look, though, Miranda collapsed against one of the bar stools, crying out as it toppled over with a startling _bang_.

The owner whipped around. "What happened?!"

Miranda was sobbing hysterically, pointing an accusatory finger at the orphan. "H-h-he _hit_ me!"

" _What_?" The street rat shrieked. "No, I didn't!"

"He did! I saw him!" Ryann testified, nodding enthusiastically.

"Alright, that's it, kid," the owner grumbled, shaking his head as he walked out from behind the counter. "You fight, you're out of here."

"I didn't hit her!" He protested. "She's a liar!"

Regardless, the owner grabbed the orphan by his arm and the back of his shirt, forcibly dragging him toward the back door of the restaurant.

"But-But, that's not fair!" He sputtered, reeling with the injustice of it all. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Miranda offering him a smug wave and Ryann giggling behind her hands.

"Life's not fair, kid," the owner offered unsympathetically, shoving open the back door of his restaurant and allowing an icy breeze to sweep through. "It's a kill or be killed world."

The owner shoved him out into the frigid evening. "No, no, _please_ -"

The door slammed shut as he stumbled, slipping on a patch of ice-

He pitched forward, his head connecting with the cobblestones of the alleyway with a _crack_.

He didn't know how long he laid there. The throbbing in his head made it hard to think or move, so any number of hours could have passed. The coldness from the snow was seeping into his bones, though, infiltrating him so completely that he knew he would never be warm again.

For some reason, the only coherent thought that could actually stick in his head was _Morro_. The word kept repeating itself in his mind, bouncing around in his skull until all he could hear was _Morro, Morro, Morro_.

"Morro," he muttered aloud, trying to pick himself up off the ground. His fingers were so numb that he couldn't feel a thing, but he fought through the cold and the pain to push himself to his knees. "Morro. _Morro_."

Morro blinked.

There was… a door? His ears were still ringing, so he couldn't even be sure if the door was really there, but…

He… needed to go through?

It was hard- so hard- to stumble toward the door. He had to hang onto the knob for a moment, steadying himself for a moment to try to reorient his thoughts.

"Morro," he mumbled, still the only thing he could even coherently hear inside his own head. "Morro."

Steeling himself, he walked through.

* * *

Morro was staring at the ground when all six of them reappeared in the small room with the doors.

Before any of them could offer any words of comfort, he said in a low voice, "You weren't supposed to see that. No one was ever supposed to see that."

Jay reached a hand toward him. "Morro, we didn't mean to-"

" _Stop_ ," Morro snapped, taking a step back before Jay could touch him. "I didn't want pity then, and I don't want pity now so stop _looking_ at me like I'm a kicked puppy-"

"Morro, no one's looking at you like that," Cole reassured.

Morro clenched his fists but managed to offer a nod, turning slightly away from the center of the group.

Kai cleared his throat. "So, um, now what? Now that we're all here, what do we do?"

"I suggest we go through the seventh door," Zane stated.

"Wait, seventh door?" Kai repeated. As one, they turned they saw a pitch black door sitting in the wall across the room as if it had always been there. The room was no bigger than it had been, and the doors seemed to be just as wide as before, but somehow the mindscape had shifted to perfectly fit a new door into the room.

"Yeah, I think that's a pretty good suggestion, Zane," Nya said with a little laugh of disbelief. Being in an environment where the laws of physics and logic clearly didn't apply was certainly grating on her as a woman of science, but she also was determined to move forward, especially since her little brother was on the line.

Moving to the door, Nya pulled it open.

* * *

 **Ooh, looks like things are heating up! What else awaits are beloved ninja in the mindscape?! And, where's Lloyd?!**

 **Anyway, here's a fun anecdote-ish question for you guys: Does anybody else think "Emperor's New Clothes" by Panic! at the Disco fits Morro, like, perfectly? I mean "done my time and served my sentence" = being in the Cursed Realm. "I'm taking back the crown" = possessing Lloyd (where the crown is being the Green Ninja). "Finder's keepers" is basically all of Season 5. And, c'mon, "you just might see a ghost tonight?" Plus, you know, the rest of the song. Anyway, let me know if you agree or I'm just trying too hard to inject Ninjago into every aspect of my life XD**

 **You are unstoppable ;D**


	11. It's All Coming Back to Me

**Only a day late! :D I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because this one was super fun to write ;D**

 **AND, I've caught up (a tiny bit) on reviews! BUT, the week after next is Thanksgiving break, meaning I'll *hopefully* have plenty of time to catch up on everything! :D**

 **Special thanks to: TheKittenQueen, Fires of Darkness, FullMetalPon-3, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, Katla1, GalaticD0nuts, ColeLoverGirl, TheYellowNinja, SpiritDragon, GameCubeGirl1, MightyShipper, thefiresensei, WindNinja333, RandomDragon2.0, Guest, Inimidesert, Plumcicle, Rick Riordan1, Fxreflies, and KyraPlays for reviewing! I love you all so much! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **ColeLoverGirl: SAME! XD Haha! Yep, my first instinct is ALWAYS Ninjago, even if some other fandom is waaay more obvious XD Ooh, we will see about Lloyd ;D And Jay! ;D I'm definitely going to be starting some riots if Cole dies in the show XD Thank you so much for always leaving such lovely reviews! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Heartbreaking was what I was going for XD Yep, I really wanted to tie it back to Lost Soul to really cement the series as a trilogy :D Poor Zane and Morro D': Hm... funny you say "trial" ;D Thank you so much for being so understanding! I AM super busy, but thankfully Thansgiving break is coming, so hopefully that will be SOMEWHAT of a reprieve! Ooh, I have heard that Voltron's a pretty popular show... Maybe I should check it out too... (When I have more time, obviously) I love your reviews so much; they just really mean the world to me! Thank you so much, and you don't go crazy with all your work either! XD**

 **SpiritDragon: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Wrayth! ;D Aaaww, baby snoring during a coma?! That would definitely make it that much sadder! XD Yep, I live for writing sad memories XD Yeah, unfortunately, there are some people who love being mean just for the sake of being mean :/ I'm glad you agree about the song! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **MightyShipper: Yay! If I'm making people cry, then I'm doing my job! :D Thank you sooo much! :D**

 **Guest: You actually cried?! Yay! XD Zane is DEFINITELY way too pure to go through such horrible things D': "Amazing?!" Oh my goodness, thank you SO SO SO much! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Haha, no problem! Trust me, it fits XD Thank you so much! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Oh my gosh, thank you so much for all your lovely words! Your reviews are just soooo nice! They really mean the world to me! Three years?! Aw, thank you so much! (And, I'm glad I'm not the only one that compares everything to Ninjago XD)**

 **JBomb217: Oh my gosh, thank you so so so much! That means the world to me that you think I'm a talented writer! Ooh, and that's a good idea too! Thank you so much for the review and the suggestion! :D (Also, fanfiction is being dumb and for some reason I can't get your review to show up, so I'm sorry about that! Hopefully it sorts itself out -_-;)**

* * *

Moving to the door, Nya pulled it open.

And, it revealed… a hallway. Something that anybody would expect to be behind a door.

Cautiously, the six ninja sidled into the corridor, keeping their eyes peeled for traps or enemies. But, it looked like a perfectly nice hallway that could belong in any big house or mansion. The only remarkable thing at all were the sheer number of _doors_ on either side. Zane informed them that if the mindscape didn't alter itself once again (which was a very real possibility), then he calculated that there were seventy two doors between here and where the hallway ended at another pitch black door, which itself was hard to see at this distance.

"Should we… open one of these?" Jay asked, reaching for the nearest doorknob.

"No," Zane said, grabbing Jay's wrist before he could even touch the knob. "The Bone Keeper said he would guide us. I think the door at the end of the hallway is the most logical next step rather than choosing one of these at random."

"So, the rest of these are… what? More memories?" Cole asked, studying all the doors as they passed as if trying to find a difference between them.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Nya replied, also glancing at the doors as they passed. "But, I'm with Zane. I think we should stay on the path. Who knows- we open one of these doors and end up traveling through each of our memories for another sixteen years."

The thought was scary to say the least, and each of the ninja unconsciously moved closer to the center of the hallway.

"Hey, Morro," Kai said quietly to the former ghost near the back of the group so the others wouldn't hear. "Can I… ask you something? About your memory?"

Morro looked at Kai sharply. "What about it?"

"No judgment," the red ninja prefaced, holding up both hands in a sign of innocence. "But… I don't get it. That girl was a total jerk, so why did you take the name she gave you?"

Morro, looking at Kai out of the corner of his eye, shrugged. "It stuck. By the next week, everyone was calling me Morro."

Kai studied the wind master for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope, don't buy it. You and me are a lot alike, and if I got a name that just 'stuck,' I would have purposely picked a different name for myself. So, why did you _really_ take the name?"

Morro turned to Kai, an amused smirk on his face. "You know, you're a lot smarter than you look."

"Thanks- wait a second…"

"It's to remind me," Morro explained, turning to face the front again.

"Remind you?"

"Where I started," Morro elaborated, however vaguely. Kai noticed his jaw tighten. "And, where I was going to finish."

And, though Kai might have been frustrated by such an unclear answer, he thought he understood. That girl had treated him like he was _nothing_. And, Morro was going to become… _more_ no matter what, a conviction that turned into an obsession and eventually led to self-destruction.

Kai patted his shoulder. "Yeah. I get it."

Morro glanced at Kai once again, as if trying to figure out if he was being patronizing or not, but, finding nothing insincere in his expression, offered a nod in response.

Finally, the ninja reached the black door at the end of the hallway. It was a little disorienting, considering it felt as if they were back in front of the black door they had exited from, but they focused on moving forward and not being confused by this mixed up, backwards, upside down place.

"Ready?" Kai asked, laying his hand on the doorknob.

The rest of his teammates nodded. He opened the door.

It was _freezing_ , but, luckily, a quick headcount of the group showed that all six of them were still present and not separated into their individual memories as before. They rubbed their arms vigorously, Morro reminded a little too vividly of the memory he had just relived in which he'd been in a very similar environment. Looking around, they realized they were in a place they recognized.

"The Birchwood Forest," Zane all but whispered. No doubt the familiar place only rubbed salt in the wound rewatching his father's death had opened up. His eyes immediately fixed on one tree in particular, one that he would have recognized anywhere. "The tree house. But… why…?"

"We can't let ourselves get distracted," Kai asserted, creating a little flame in his hand to try to keep himself warm. "Everyone, look for a door. There's got to be a way out of here. We've got to find Lloyd."

Before anybody could start searching in earnest, though, they heard someone crunching through the snow.

It was, well, _Zane_ , albeit his original model with the synthetic human skin and hair. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly, a forlorn expression on his face. It was night time, the stars crisp and clear against the backdrop of the black sky, and the only sound was Zane's heavy footsteps sinking into the blanket of snow.

"What… what is this?" Jay asked, glancing uncertainly between Zane- _their_ Zane- and what was clearly a Zane from the past.

"I…" the titanium nindroid trailed off as he watched his past self amble past the loose group of ninja without acknowledging them. He stopped at the tree house but didn't go inside. Instead, he turned around and leaned his back against it, slowly sinking to the ground.

The present Zane stiffened. "This is a memory."

"Okay… but… why?" Cole asked haltingly, echoing everyone's confusion.

Zane suddenly shook his head vigorously, turning his back on his past self. "It is a _secret_ memory! It is mine to keep and do with as I wish, so it is not _right_ that-"

He stopped when the other ninja gasped, and Zane turned back around to see it was too late. The memory Zane had opened his chest plate, revealing his internal wiring.

His hand drifted to his memory switch. Rested there. Hesitated.

"Zane, you were going to flip your memory switch?!" Nya exclaimed incredulously, rounding on the nindroid in shock.

"No!" Zane protested, waving his arms as if to will the accusations away. "I mean, yes, I was _going_ to, but I clearly did not-"

"How could you even consider that for a _second_?" Kai demanded, furrowing his brow.

"I was in _grieving_ ," Zane explained breathlessly, hating the way his siblings were looking at him and wishing he could stuff the memory back into obscurity where it belonged. "I was... irrational, but I did not do it."

"That's… that's not the _point_ , Zane," Cole asserted, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "I mean, you lose your dad and then your first instinct is to _flip your memory switch_? Why couldn't you have just _talked_ to one of us? We were _there_ for you!"

Feeling attacked, Zane couldn't help the edge in his tone as he snapped back, "It wasn't your _concern_ -"

"Not our concern?!" Jay repeated. "Zane, we're your brothers! I mean, you're supposed to talk to us, but it's like all you do is push us away!"

Morro, who didn't exactly understand what was happening as he had no idea what a "memory switch" was, suddenly looked around in bewilderment. "Woah, did you guys- everything just… changed."

The other ninja looked up- and suddenly they weren't in the Birchwood Forest anymore. The transition had been seamless, as if they had always been in this new location. They hadn't even noticed the temperature rising.

Now, the six of them were standing on an… island? But, that was the _sky_ -

The first thing that caught their attention was a tan… person? Or, rather, humanoid creature with four arms and… no legs. In fact, he seemed to be floating, dragging a heavy sword behind him, as he staggered toward-

Jay.

And, Nya.

She was pale, limp…

 _Dead_.

Jay and Nya felt cold horror course through their veins as they watched their siblings study the scene before them in utter confusion.

"What… what _is_ this?" Cole asked, brown eyes jumping from person to person to person as he desperately tried to recall this memory. "I don't… I don't remember this. But, I'm… I'm standing right there…"

"Nya!" Kai called, moving forward toward the memory of his sister's dead body. He knew that wasn't the _real_ Nya- his sister was right here beside him after all- but… but Nya was… Nya was… and he was supposed to protect her…

Before he could reach her, though, the memory Jay whispered, "I wish you had taken my hand on that billboard that day, Nya, and that nobody ever found that stupid teapot."

Nadakhan, shocked, dropped the Sword of Souls.

"Your wish… is yours to keep."

And, then, in a brilliant, dizzying smear of color, both sets of ninja found themselves back on the rooftop on the day that Kai, Cole, and Zane only remembered as the day Jay and Nya had mysteriously and spontaneously made up and rekindled their relationship.

Jay and Nya remembered it as the day they made the pact to never tell anyone what had happened.

"I remember!" Nya declared in the memory as she and Jay passionately embraced. "I remember it all!"

"I do too!" Jay echoed. "But… how?"

"Who cares?"

As Jay and Nya kissed in the memory, Zane grabbed his head, starting. "Wait-wait, I'm starting to remember! Nadakhan, Djinnjago, the Sky Pirates- I remember it all!"

"Me too!" Cole shouted, mostly out of surprise. "It's- it's all coming back to me! The Tiger Widow, getting stranded on that island, getting trapped in the sword…"

Suddenly, Cole rounded on Jay, who was already about one sixteenth of his usual size and shrunk even more at the betrayal in Cole's eyes.

"And, you… _lied_ about it."

Jay immediately shook his head. "No, Cole, listen-"

But, Cole was backing away, his eyes still wide as he tried to process the new flood of information. "You lied about Cliff Gordon's house, you lied about making the wishes, you lied _again_ about how you found out you were adopted, you lied about why you're afraid of spiders…"

"Cole-"

The earth ninja used both hands to give Jay a solid shove in the chest, forcing him to stumble backward several steps.

He pointed an accusatory finger at Jay. "You _lied_ about everything! _Days_ of our lives were missing, just like that, and you _lied_ about it!"

"You guys didn't remember anyway," Jay defended weakly, rubbing his slightly aching chest. "How could I explain all that, huh? Would you guys even believe me?"

"You don't get to make that decision!" Cole retorted. "This wasn't some little fib, Jay. This was part of our _lives_! You had no right to keep that from us!"

"Lay off him, Cole," Nya jumped in, grabbing Jay's arm in a show of support. "It was both of our decisions to keep it a secret."

"Nya, I- I-" Kai sputtered, as if still in too much shock to even properly articulate his thoughts. "I- I… I thought we told each other everything."

Nya, now taking on Jay's role, immediately tried to placate him. "Kai, I promise I was going to tell you. After we got out of here and saved Lloyd, I was going to-"

Kai scoffed, "Yeah, right. Like I'm supposed to believe that. How am I supposed to believe _anything_ you say?"

Nya recoiled at the bitter tone in her brother's words. "Look, Kai, it's not- it didn't even really happen! I mean, it's no big deal-"

"No big deal? _No big deal_?!" Kai repeated, throwing his arms up in the air. "You _died_. _Died_. That's not a big deal? That's not something you think I need to know?"

Nya, once again smarting at the condescending, venomous tone Kai was using, snapped, "You don't need to know _everything_ about-"

"How could you be so _stupid_ that you'd think I didn't need to know?! We know everything about each other-"

" _No,_ we _don't_! You have no idea that I _hate_ talking about our parents so much. I _hate_ that you miss them so much, and I cannot _wait_ for the day that you _get over it already_."

Kai recoiled like he'd been slapped.

Remorse instantly hit Nya like a truck and she placed a hand over her mouth, wanting desperately to pluck the words out of the air and stuff them back down her throat into a deep, dark place where they would never see the light. She hadn't even been thinking. All she'd heard was the word "stupid" and then she'd just wanted to _hurt_ Kai in the worst way she knew how.

She reached a hand toward her brother. "Kai-"

The red ninja moved backward, out of her reach. She would have preferred him to react with anger, yell at her, _hit_ her even, but Kai was just… silent.

"Um, it's… it's changed again," Morro said quietly. Once again, having not been present for the Nadakhan fiasco, he was more confused than betrayed by the revelation.

Now, they were gathered at the foot of a mountain. A man was above them, breathing heavily as he searched for handholds.

"Wait, I know that guy," Morro suddenly announced, eyes widening ever so slightly as he apparently recognized the memory. "No, I…"

The wind started blowing where there had been none before, cutting Morro off. The man cried out, struggling to maintain his grip on the rocks, but the gale became too strong. He was ripped off the mountainside, clipping rocks and boulders as he tumbled to the ground.

At the foot of the mountain, the man laid groaning.

The ninja winced when they saw a huge gash had been ripped in the man's midsection, blood soaking his light blue shirt.

And then, Morro appeared.

Instead of helping the man, Morro flipped him roughly onto his injured stomach and then grabbed his arm, wrenching it behind his back so the man screamed in pain.

That was when they realized that Morro had used his elemental power to knock the man off the mountain in the first place.

Morro stepped directly on the man's face, shoving it into the ground to give him more leverage to yank on the arm.

"You really think I'd let you get away with betraying me?" Morro demanded, jerking the man's arm back to make him shout in pain again.

"I'm sorry, Morro!" The man sobbed. "I-I needed the money! My family-"

Morro cut him off by making him scream again. "You listen to me. Whatever is in the First Spinjitzu Master's Tomb is _mine_ and mine alone. The payment you get for helping me is me not slaughtering your precious little family. Is that clear?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, _yes_!" The man cried out. "I'm sorry, Morro! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! Please!"

Morro smirked, shrugging. "Okay."

The man sighed in relief- until Morro snapped his arm as easily as he would break a pencil. The man screamed, but Morro wasn't moved by his sobs in the slightest.

"If you start crawling now, you might be able to make it back to town before you bleed out," Morro threw over his shoulder as he released the man and started climbing the mountain.

The other ninja turned to their Morro who was wincing as he watched only one of the cruel deeds he had committed.

"Morro, how… how _could_ you?" Jay demanded. Sure, he had _known_ that Morro had done some bad things in his life- he'd said so himself only minutes beforehand- but… but _knowing_ it and _seeing_ it were two very different things. "You left that guy for dead!"

"That was a long time ago," Morro insisted, but his tone came across as desperate, as if he wanted nothing more than to make them believe him. "I'm _different_ now."

"And, we _know_ that," Cole added, turning to Jay with an angry expression. "Morro's changed, Jay, so back off."

"Of course you take his side," Jay snapped before he could stop himself. He hadn't even _meant_ to say it really, but Cole was already mad at him and now he was siding against him with Morro and it just brought all those feelings of loneliness rushing back to the surface again-

Cole shoved Jay a second time, harder than he did before. "What is your _problem_?"

"My problem?" Jay repeated, clenching his fists- because Cole was pushing him around like Neil did… "My _problem_ is that- you- you act like I don't even exist anymore! I didn't know that the minute someone better came along you were going to drop me just like that!"

Cole balked. "What are you _talking_ about?" Glancing back at the wind master, who appeared to be very uncomfortable to be caught in the middle of this dispute if relieved for the attention to be drawn away from the last memory they had just watched, Cole rounded on Jay once again. "What, you're jealous of Morro?"

Cole shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "I don't… I don't _get_ it Jay! I do _everything_ for you! I gave up Nya for you, I gave up my powers for you, I never even blamed you for _killing_ me, and yet the second I spend a _little_ less time with you, you can't deal with it."

Jay, shocked and betrayed that Cole would throw those things back into his face, retorted. "Well, don't act like you're not doing the same thing with Morro! Everyone knows you only hang out with him because you feel bad for him! You want to take care of him just like you took care of your alcoholic mother-"

Cole's fist was like a sledgehammer slamming into Jay's jaw, knocking the blue ninja clear off his feet.

"Jay!" Nya gasped, kneeling beside her boyfriend.

"I cannot _believe_ you," Cole growled, glowering at Jay who was cradling his jaw and staring up at Cole in fear. "You _lie_ about an entire week of our lives, and yet you can't even keep the only secret I ever asked you to keep for _half an hour_!" Cole shook his head. "I try so hard, and it's never _enough_ for you! So, I'm _done_. You're the bad friend, Jay. Not me."

There was a slight pause before Zane said quietly, "The room. It's changed again."

* * *

 **Oh nooooooooooooooo! Shout out to Echo15 who pointed out a couple of chapters ago that it was going to be hard to keep Skybound under wraps XD**

 **Anyway, now the ninja are fighting, and what's this next secret that's going to be revealed?! Shout out to anyone who guesses correctly ;D**

 **Thank you all for bearing with me! I love you all so much! :D**


	12. You're the Only Good Thing in My Life

**WHAT?! Am I... ON TIME?! XD Yep! It is Thanksgiving break for me, so I am hoping to catch up on everything! Reviews, PMs, writing, and *hopefully* get out the latest chapter of Getting to Know You!**

 **Special thanks to: Inimidesert, GameCubeGirl1, RandomDragon2.0, Ebony umbreon, FullMetalPon-3, TheKittenQueen, Katla1, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, PrarieSkies, Fxreflies, Plumcicle, GalacticD0nuts, Mighty Shipper, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, MyHeadIsSpinning, WindNinja333, SpiritDragon, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, TheYellowNinja, Echo15, KyraPlays, sunflower. peach, and Rick Riordan1 for reviewing! :D**

 **Mighty Shipper: Because drama is what I live for! XD Don't worry, there is still a LOT of story left to go XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Aw, your eyes got watery?! That makes me sooo happy, because that means I'm doing my job! And, Lloyd's not even around to play mediator D': We'll see if the ninja can work it out... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Yep, secret reveal party, rapid-fire style! XD Haha, no worries, it showed up like right after I posted XD Your first review?! That is a HUGE honor! Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Yep, nothing better than best friends fighting! XD And poor Morro's just utterly confused XD Ooh, we'll see if you're right ;D Poor Zane and Kai D': And, the Bone Keeper is *pretty* craftly like that ;D Lloyd is going to be totally lost! That is, IF he wakes up... ;D "Awesome?!" Thank you soooo much! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, slap in the face is DEFINITELY what I was going for! (All the ninja certainly feel like they've been smacked around a few times XD) Toying with other people's emotions is what I love to do most! XD Ooh, well I definitely trust your opinion, so if you like Voltron THAT much, it's definitely worth checking out! Unfortunately, it might have to wait until winter break D': (Because for SOME reason I still have homework over Thanksgiving break?! WHAT THE HECK?!) Feel free to share all your obsessions, related or not! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Echo15: "Heart palpitations?!" Okay, that makes me INCREDIBLY happy! :D And, "literally the most painful thing I've ever read" makes me ECSTATIC! XD Ooh, and Jay being reminded of his bullies by Cole was definitely me twisting the knife XD We will see what memories come up next... ;D "Masterpiece?!" Oh my goodness, thank you so so much for these lovely compliments! *I* almost cried reading them! You deserve the shout out! When I read that review all that time ago, I'm pretty sure I squealed because you were right XD Thank you sooo much for this INCREDIBLY kind review! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Only two days! Hopefully the wait wasn't too bad XD Thank you sooo much for reviewing, and I hope this chapter is satisfying XD**

* * *

 _Lloyd_.

It was _Lloyd_! Except… it wasn't, not really. It was just a memory of him, just an echo of something that had already happened, and the fact that the ninja were even here proved that that wasn't enough.

But, Kai couldn't even revel in the momentary hope that had risen in his chest, the split-second gasp caught in his throat as he thought it was really him. Because, he recognized this memory instantly, if only because it had happened so recently, and all he could think about was how to stop Morro from seeing it.

"But, no one can deny that things are… harder now. I'm constantly worried he's going to get hurt- like he did today," The memory Lloyd said to Kai as the two ninja ambled down the Ninjago City sidewalk, heading straight for the group of ninja that did not exist in the memory. He nervously smoothed down his blonde locks, and even as the present Kai found himself aching at the familiarity of the gesture, he couldn't help but glance at Morro's frown of consternation.

"And, what about when we go on a mission?" Lloyd went on. "Everyone hating Morro is going to make it harder for us to protect them. They won't listen to him. They might even try to interfere if he gets into a fight and put themselves in harm's way."

Kai winced as he saw himself nod in the memory. Sure, he still agreed with everything Lloyd had said, but Morro was never supposed to _know_ that.

"But, Master Wu wouldn't let me leave Morro behind while we went on a mission," Lloyd continued. "And, I think it would really hurt Morro's feelings. And then maybe-"

Lloyd shook his head. "Never mind."

As the memory Kai encouraged Lloyd to share, the present Kai turned imploringly to Morro. "C'mon, Morro, don't listen to this. It's not-"

Morro held up his hand to cut Kai off, leaning closer as the two ninja in the memory passed right through the center of the group.

Lloyd sighed. "When I was at Darkley's, I… obviously wasn't very cut out for evil. But, you know, my dad was evil, my mom clearly wanted me to be evil if she left me there, and all the teachers and the others kids told me to be evil. So, I thought I _was_ evil, or at least that I should be.

"So, the more people hate Morro and call him a monster…"

"He'll start to believe it," Kai finished, looking seriously at his little brother who was biting his lip. "You're afraid he might just say 'screw this,' and start his reign of terror. Or, I guess his _second_ reign of terror."

Lloyd cringed but nodded. "I mean, how can I lead this team when I feel like I have a ticking time bomb on it?"

Kai and Lloyd continued walking, the rest of their conversation inaudible as their backs were to the ninja.

Kai reached a hand out toward Morro, who was still staring at the spot where Lloyd had just been, as if replaying what he'd just heard over and over again in his head. "Morro, c'mon, you know Lloyd didn't-"

"A… ticking… _time bomb_?" Morro repeated, fists clenching at his sides. " _That's_ what you think of me? That's what _Lloyd_ really thinks of me."

"Morro, of course not-"

"You're all just _waiting_ for the day I snap and turn evil again. Or, what was it you said? Start my _second_ reign of terror." Morro laughed bitterly, shaking his head in disbelief. "You probably all have bets placed on the day."

"Woah, woah, woah, don't lump the rest of us in," Cole attempted to placate the wind master, holding up his hands. "Morro, we never-"

" _Shut up_!" Morro snapped, backing away from the group. "You pity me, Jay hates me, Kai doesn't trust me, and Lloyd… _Lloyd_ …" Morro shook his head again, as if unable to finish the sentence, and scoffed. "I mean, why am I even _here_?"

Suddenly, the Ninjago City street faded from view, the buildings, cars, streetlights disappearing right before their eyes. But, it wasn't replaced with another memory; instead, the six ninja found themselves in a simple stone room, with a single black door set in the center of one of the four walls.

Even as the rest of the ninja were protesting the allegations, Morro turned on his heel, stomping toward the door and ripping it open without bothering to wait for the others. They hurried out after him into the hallway that was so similar to the last one, it could have been the same corridor (and, in fact, it might have been with the messed-up logic of the mindscape.) Doors upon doors lined either side of the hallway with one black one at the very end.

"Morro," Kai said breathlessly as they caught up to Morro in the hallway. "C'mon, at least give Lloyd a chance to explain himself. He was just worried about you-"

"Get away from me!" Morro shouted, shoving Kai hard in the chest. "You guys have been making a fool out of me this whole time, and I just can't believe how _stupid_ I was-"

"Morro, stop it!" Kai interrupted, his own temper getting the best of him as he approached Morro again, more forcefully this time. "You _know_ it's not like that-"

"I _said_ , get away from me!" Morro growled, pushing Kai backward again.

Heedlessly, Kai frustratedly reached out to grab Morro's arm and _make_ him listen-

Surrounded on three sides and wanting to get away from _all_ of them, Morro turned to the plain door at his back, the first of dozens lined up in the hallway, and before he could give it a second thought, stepped through.

The other ninja's eyes widened. No matter how angry they were, they knew they couldn't lose each other in the mindscape.

They followed him through.

* * *

The room the ninja appeared in was dim. It seemed to be a one room apartment, so small the six of them could barely fit in the space. Junk decorated every available surface, bags and boxes and piles of clothes strewn about. They did nothing to hide the dinginess of the apartment, though: the walls were faded and stained, the corners and edges of the floor sporting grime and bug corpses.

The most notable aspect, though, was the young woman lying on the thin mattress across the room. She was young, in her early twenties maybe, with ghostly pale skin and short, relatively spiky black hair. She was crying softly, partially covering her mouth as if trying to stifle her sobs for whatever reason.

"Who is she?" Jay asked softly, his heart naturally going out to the obviously miserable woman. "Whose memory is this?"

"Morro?" Zane asked. "Do you recognize that woman?"

"No," Morro replied shortly. "This can't be my memory. I don't remember this."

Cole cocked his head. "She seems… kind of familiar."

Before anybody could respond, a train suddenly went by outside, drowning out any and all other noise and making the entire apartment shake. The woman made no indication that the rattling bothered her, though, leading the ninja to believe that this was a common occurrence.

As soon as the train passed, though, they heard a baby crying.

The woman, wiping her tears on the back of her hand, sat up. Leaning down, she reached into a cardboard box beside her bed that the ninja had not been able to see inside from their vantage point.

She lifted a baby out of the box, immediately cradling him close to her chest as she shushed him. "Please don't do this to me, honey. Please go back to sleep."

Nya gasped. "Wait… Morro, I think you _do_ remember this."

"No, I…," Morro trailed off as he realized what Nya was implying. His eyes fixated on the bawling baby. Who had been sleeping in a cardboard box.

He pointed at the baby, feeling suddenly faint, like he might collapse at any moment. "If that's me…," He lifted his hand so he was pointing at the woman instead. "Then, that's my… my…"

He couldn't say it.

"She looks just like you," Cole said quietly, realizing why the woman had looked so familiar at first.

Morro staggered, his mind reeling. He was dangerously close to passing out, but he forced himself to stay awake, to stay looking at this woman- the woman he had longed to find _for so long_ \- so he could keep the image of her in his mind forever, so he could _know_ her and never forget her again…

Finally, the baby calmed down, only whimpering softly in her arms.

The woman sighed happily, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"That's it, honey," she said softly, carefully moving to lie down in the bed again with her baby still against her chest. "You're the only good thing in my life, you know that?"

And for the second time since he had become human again, Morro felt tears collecting on his eyelids.

"She loved me," he whispered, partly in disbelief, partly to convince himself it was true. "She _loved_ me."

Cole laid a hand on his arm. "She loved you so much."

Morro, clenching his fists, shook Cole's hand off and demanded, "Then why did she abandon me? If she loved me, why did she _leave_ me?"

"I don't know," Cole admitted, glancing over his shoulder warily at his other siblings and the door waiting patiently to take them back into the hallway. "But, Morro… we have to go. Lloyd, the time… I'm sorry."

Morro glanced at Cole with glassy eyes, before turning to look at his mother one last time.

She was sleeping contentedly with her baby, neither of them crying anymore.

Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he nodded, finally ripping himself away from the scene. Turning around, he followed the ninja out the door and didn't resent the way Cole squeezed his shoulders.

* * *

Back out in the hallway, the six ninja were quiet for a moment. Whereas the Secret Room had fanned the flames inside them, making them want nothing more to lunge at each other's throats, Morro's memory had quelled those flames, inviting a somber, morose atmosphere instead.

Nya sighed. "Look, guys. We all… obviously have some problems to work out with each other. We said a lot of things in that room. Things we can't take back. Things we can't just forget about." Her eyes flickered to Kai, who was determinedly staring at the floor instead of at her. "We can talk and sort those things out as soon as we get out of here. But, right now, Lloyd needs us. Can we all set aside our differences, just until then?"

Each of the ninja glanced at each other, resembling distrustful enemies more than they did brothers.

But, regardless, each of them nodded.

The walk down the hallway was tense and silent. There was no banter or jokes. It was almost as if each ninja had had a wall erected around them, a barrier none of the others could even hope to surpass.

When they reached the black door at the end of the hall, Kai, not bothering to ask if the others were ready this time, muttered, "Let's go."

He opened the door.

* * *

 **Sooo, yes, I know, very short, but this was where the natural break fell *and* I felt there was enough content to justify its own chapter :D**

 **Also, if you're wondering, everyone *did* have a secret revealed, even if they didn't have a memory played: Everyone found out about Corrine's alcoholism for Cole and Nya told Kai what she *really* thought about her parents.**

 **I was a little surprised that no one guessed this secret, but shout out to KyraPlays who aaaaaaaall the way back in Chapter 2 when this conversation took place said:**

 **"Will Morro find out about this conversation? And what will he think? Because you know Morro always finds out what Lloyd thinks about him in your stories..."**

 **Oh, Kyra, you know me too well XD**

 **And, also... Morro's mom. Let's talk about that: Why did she leave him and where is she now?**

 **Thank you all for reading! :D**


	13. Nightmarish

**So, I'm not toooo terribly late, right...? ^-^;**

 **Special thanks to: Wolfjem, WindNinja333, FullMetalPon-3, Katla1, MasterofMusic139, 3, ColeLoverGirl, Lea Hence, RandomDragon2.0, Inimidesert, GalacticD0nuts, FlightOfTheFury, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, thefiresensei, MightyShipper, PrairieSkies, GameCubeGirl1, Echo15, Guest, Plumcicle, TheYellowNinja, Ebony umbreon, TheKitten!ueen, Rick Riordan1, sunflower. peach, and KyraPlays for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **3: Aw, thank you so much! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Oh my gosh, that was *such* a funny story! Give thank! XD Ooh, good idea about Morro's parents! Yes, they would be pretty old; I estimate that Morro died around forty years ago, so that puts Morro's parents at least in their sixties. But, we do know they are alive! ;D Yep, and all the ninja basically hate each other! Yay! XD We'll see about Cliff... ;D Of course! I LOVE reading reviews so much, so thank YOU for taking the time to leave them! :D**

 **MightyShipper: There is DEFINITELY a lot going on, aaaand I certainly hope they can fix everything :/ Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Echo15: Yes, I love PAIN! (Okay, that's a weird sentence XD) Oh my goodness, thank you so so so much! I put a lot of thought into my story lines and accurate characterization is basically my top priority :D And, knowing that MY stories can give you all those different kinds of feelings just means the world to me! :D Yep, Jay was pretty quiet- everybody's hurting a lot, so Jay just can't be his natural bubbly self D': Hm, good idea for Morro/Jay bonding! We'll see... ;D Definitely what I was going for- silence and coldness that hurts almost as much as the fighting does D': Thank you so so much for this incredibly nice review! :D**

 **Guest: Haha, I'm very I'm happy killing you! XD And, yeah, they've set aside their differences for now, but believe me, they're not settled XD Yeah, it's super easy to get an account! There should be a button when you get on the site that says "login" and I think from there you can sign up :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Very true! We do know that Morro's mom is alive somewhere! You have very good ideas! We'll see... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Please never apologize for not reviewing immediately XD I'm so overjoyed that you review at all! :D Very true- Morro's relationship with the other ninja is strained at best and, well, destroyed at worst :/ I LOVE LOVE LOVED writing the memory of his mom, so I'm glad you found it so interesting! :D Oh no, I'm sorry you're getting confused! Basically, the ninja are having to endure these trials in their own minds to be able to pass into Lloyd's, BUT they saw the memory of Morro's mother because Morro went off the path the Bone Keeper is guiding them along. Please feel free to ask questions any time! DEFINITELY a needed and lovely break! Oh my gosh, thank you so much! Your reviews always mean the world to me, so thank you so much for always making me feel like a million bucks! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Yep, Morro's mom! Keeping in the trend of the trilogy of seeing estranged parents ;D Wow, suspense, angst, action and care!? That makes me so happy! :D Thank you so much, and I hope YOU have a great Thanksgiving break too! :D**

* * *

Cole opened his eyes-

And froze when he saw his mother sitting on the edge of his mattress, brushing her fingers through his bangs.

Gasping, he sat up and looked down at himself, since he half-suspected he had been thrust into yet another memory and he would be occupying his five year old body once again.

But, no. It was his old bedroom in his parents' house, but he was sixteen years old, the exact same as he was in real life, and retained all of his memories: the mindscape, the Bone Keeper, _Lloyd._

Corrine smiled at him. "Hi, Cole."

Cole shook his head, trying to reconcile the sight of his mother sitting right in front of him, clearly human- he could _touch_ her- with the knowledge that she was dead. "Mom, you're… you're alive!"

Laughing, she nodded. "I never died."

Cole furrowed his brow, confused as he touched her hand to reassure himself of her solidity. "But… But…"

She grasped his hand in hers, smiling at him. "Here, I never died. I was never an alcoholic. I was here for _you_. The mother I should have been."

Cole shook his head slowly back and forth. "I don't understand."

She sighed, nodding at the bedroom door over her shoulder. "You can leave right now. You can go back to the world where no one appreciates you. Where you try so hard even though it's never enough." She smiled, reaching over to cup his face. "Or, you can stay here. With me and your father. We can be the family you always wanted us to be. We can be _happy_."

Cole, still not quite able to believe what he was hearing, shook his head and ran his hand over his face. "Wait a second…"

"You're so strong, Cole. You take care of everyone," she said softly, taking both of Cole's hands in hers. "Isn't it time someone took care of you?"

Cole stared at her.

He pondered what staying would entail. In the real world, he would become a vegetable, similar to Lloyd in his coma now.

But, what did that matter, when here, now, he knew he would be happy? Sure, his body would be left behind, but if his mind was _here_ , with his mother who was looking at him with such love in her eyes, the mother that had never fought with his father, the mother that had never forgotten him at school, the mother that had never drunk herself to death, then what did it matter?

He might miss his brothers… but then again, were they really worth going back to? Nya was a liar, Zane obviously didn't trust him, Kai lashed out every chance he got, Morro was so damaged, and Jay… Jay certainly wasn't worth going back to.

But, what if they needed him? His mother was right: he took care of everyone. Without him… what would become of them? What if they needed his super strength in battle and he wasn't _there_?

What if they couldn't save Lloyd without him?

Then again, when was it his turn to finally be selfish for once?

"What's it going to be, baby?" Corrine asked, smiling at him as if she already knew his answer.

Cole looked at the door.

Cole looked at his mother.

* * *

Jay opened his eyes-

Nya threw herself into his arms, firmly planting her lips on his.

Jay gasped, pushing Nya off of him in sheer surprise. "Nya! What- where-"

"Jay!" She exclaimed happily, hugging him once again and resting her head on his chest. "Finally! Finally, we can be together with nothing else getting in the way."

Jay blinked, recalling the huge fight the six of them had had in the Secret Room. He still felt his jaw tingling where Cole had punched him. And, then they had passed through that door and now…

"Now, you're exactly where you're supposed to be," Nya finished, as if reading his thoughts. "Don't you feel it? You're different here. You're _better_ here."

Now that she mentioned it, Jay felt none of the anxiety here that he usually did. Instead, confidence, almost a foreign feeling, was brimming in his chest, a sureness of himself he had always envied in others, like Kai.

And, Nya was here, in his arms, but he wasn't worried about messing it up like he usually was. Somehow, some way, he knew Nya would never leave him, that they were madly in love and nothing and no one in the entire world could tear them apart, no matter how clumsy or spazzy or awkward he acted.

"So, you'll stay, won't you?" Nya asked, grinning easily up at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you if you left to go back to your other world."

His other world… Part of Jay knew he should go back. He wanted to make amends with the others, try to explain why exactly he had lied about Nadakhan. He needed to apologize to Morro and especially to Cole for the way he had acted in the Secret Room.

Then again, why should he bother? Sure, the old Jay would have despaired at the thought of his brothers holding grudges against him, but this was the _new_ Jay. _This_ Jay never had to spare one thought on feeling anxious or worried about others. Here, he was _perfect_ , the Jay he had always wanted to be, and Nya knew that.

And, Nya knew that.

"You're not my Nya," Jay said quietly, stepping out of her embrace no matter how much he ached to hold her in his arms again and never let her go. "My Nya wouldn't act like this."

Nya pouted, throwing herself onto Jay yet again. " _I'm_ better here too. Isn't this what you always wanted? To be together forever?"

Jay hesitated. It was what he wanted. He wanted it _so bad_ …

His eyes drifted over to the door that he knew would take him out of here.

He tightened his grip on Nya.

* * *

Zane opened his eyes-

"Ah, Zane, will you hand me that wrench?"

Zane jumped, staring in shock at his father- at his father who was alive and here, back in their workshop in the Birchwood Forest- smiling at him with all the love and affection in the world.

Zane took a step backward. "You are not my father. You are a figment of my imagination. An illusion the Bone Keeper has conjured to keep me here."

Dr. Julien, not offended in the slightest, chuckled. "You always were brilliant, Zane. I couldn't be prouder."

Zane, shutting his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at his father as he left him- _again_ \- turned away. "I need to go."

"Do you?" Dr. Julien asked, coming up behind Zane and placing a warm- _alive_ \- hand on his shoulder. "You can stay here. Perhaps it is too much to ask of a nindroid to be wilfully ignorant, but just think about it for a moment, Zane.

"I am the only one who has ever truly understood you," Dr. Julien continued. "The only you have ever opened up to completely. The only one who ever loved and accepted all of your differences."

Zane shook his head weakly. "My brothers…"

"Will leave you. They will age and move on and die and once again, you will be all alone." Dr. Julien explained quietly. "You are a nindroid, and you will never die. If you choose to leave now, you will never see me again.

"But, _here_ ," Dr. Julien gestured to the workshop as a whole, and a powerful surge of nostalgia washed over Zane. "Here, you don't have to worry about death. You don't have to worry about being different. You don't have to worry about being alone. Here, you will finally be _free_."

Zane met his father's eyes. To be free…

"The door is right there if you still want to go," Dr. Julien said, pointing to the entrance of the tree house. "But, if you stay, we'll never have to say goodbye again."

Zane glanced at the door.

He looked at his father.

* * *

Nya opened her eyes-

"Hey, Nya," Jay greeted casually from where he was sitting on the couch, flipping through his magazine. "How's it going?"

Nya shook her head, trying to get her thoughts in order. "Jay? What-"

She looked down, finally registering the fact that she was holding an object in her hands.

Her Samurai X helmet.

"What?" She whispered, mostly to herself since she was immensely suspicious of the Jay lounging on the couch. "But… I haven't been Samurai X in…"

Jay flipped a page in his magazine. "Here, you are. Here, you were never forced to be a ninja when you never really wanted to be one. Here, you choose your own destiny, _always_ , and no one ever gets to tell you who you have to be."

Nya frowned at the helmet in her hands. She could recall clearly the hours she'd spent designing her mech, building it, testing it, _using_ it and feeling like nothing in the entire world could touch her. Like she wasn't Kai's little sister or Jay's girlfriend or the damsel in distress but finally just _Nya_.

And, then she'd been forced to give it all up and fit into the team just like everyone else.

She slowly raised her eyes to Jay, who was still relaxing on the couch as if she wasn't even there. She smirked, cocking her head.

"You can't be Jay," she announced. "Jay would have asked me a million questions by now. He would have tried to guess what I'm feeling or at least stood up to hug me."

Jay lowered the magazine. "I _am_ Jay. I'm just the more laidback version of him. I mean, aren't you sick of him always being so high strung and possessive and worried about you leaving him?"

Nya frowned once again. Sure, Jay's neurotic tendencies got on her nerves from time to time, but what boyfriend's quirks didn't? And, she'd always found Jay's shyness and uncertainty endearing.

Then again, there was something… comforting or… _alluring_ even, about this new easygoing Jay. She couldn't help but feel relaxed in his presence. She knew he would be okay with whatever choice she made, whereas her Jay would try to argue or beg her to make the right decision.

Suddenly, Nya shook her head, disappointed in herself that she had even considered staying.

"No, I need to make up with Kai and the others," she insisted, though part of her was telling her that _need_ was too strong of a word. "I lied, and I really hurt Kai…"

"Here, Kai cares about your parents just as much as you do. And, everyone understands why you lied about Nadakhan," Jay explained, picking up his magazine once again. "Everything is fine here, Nya. The only thing stopping you from being happy is you."

Nya looked over her shoulder at the door leading out of here.

Her eyes then passed over Jay before dropping to the Samurai X helmet in her hands.

* * *

Kai opened his eyes-

His mother.

His _mother_.

It had been so long since he had seen her last, and yet he recognized her instantly. Her long dark hair, her kind blue eyes, the smile that was always a fraction of a second away from her lips…

"Kai," she said softly, gifting him with that smile that made him feel like the most important person in the world.

He didn't ask questions. He didn't deny her existence.

He just dove forward and hugged her, squeezing her in his arms and trying to stifle the tears before they fell.

"Mom," he whispered, trying to get himself to believe it. " _Mom_."

"I missed you so much, Kai," she told him, running her hand through the unruly spikes of his hair. "Your father and I-"

Kai sat back. "Dad's here too?"

"Of course!" Maya told him, reaching forward to stroke his cheek softly. "And, we can go see him if you decide to stay here."

"Stay here?" Kai repeated, raising an eyebrow. Maya's eyes flickered toward the doorway of their living room, and it was like Kai could _sense_ everything that lay beyond it: more of the Bone Keeper's illusions, the brothers he didn't want to see anymore, the sister who had _lied_ to him.

But, his mother was _right_ in front of him.

Kai dropped his gaze to his lap before slowly raising his eyes to his mother's again. "But, what about Lloyd?"

Maya laughed. "Well, Lloyd's here too, of course."

Kai almost sighed in relief… before he shook his head. "Not the real Lloyd. What about him?"

His mother waved away his concern. "The others can save him. C'mon, Kai, you've been waiting your entire life to find us again." She grabbed his hand in both of hers, leaning forward and smiling at him again. "You've finally _found_ us. So, why would you want to keep looking?"

Kai placed his hand on top of hers. "Lloyd needs me."

" _I_ need you," Maya insisted, leaning forward and hugging her son once again. " _We_ need you."

Kai felt tears pushing at his eyes again, and he buried his face in his mother's shoulder.

"Don't abandon us, Kai," Maya said softly. "Don't break up our family again."

Kai sighed shakily, glancing at the door over her shoulder before squeezing his mother harder.

* * *

Morro opened his eyes-

"Morro!"

He jumped, sitting up and looking down at the person standing by the edge of his bed.

"Gem!?"

She grinned up at him, nodding proudly.

Morro couldn't believe his eyes. He had only ever known Gem as a ghost, and yet here she was as a living little girl, rosy cheeks and blonde, bouncy curls intact.

"And, I have another surprise!" She sang teasingly before pointing at Morro's chest. "Look!"

Morro looked down.

He gasped.

He was wearing a green ninja gi.

The Green Ninja gi.

And, all at once, he could feel the power coursing through his veins, the power he had only ever got a taste of when he had possessed Lloyd, the power he had lived and died chasing…

"No…," Morro said softly, running his hand through his hair. "This isn't right. _Lloyd_ is the Green Ninja. Not me."

"Not here, he isn't!" Gem pointed out, practically bouncing with excitement. "Here, _you_ are! Isn't this great? It's what you always wanted, isn't it?"

Morro hesitated, trying to gather his scrambled thoughts back into some sort of order. Why was he fighting it? He was the Green Ninja and Gem was here- _alive_. It was everything he could ask for, so what was the problem again…?

Morro shook his head. "No. No, I can't. I'm not the Green Ninja. No matter how much you tell me I am, I'm… just _not_."

Gem pouted. "You _are_!" She climbed up onto the bed, tears collecting on her eyelids. "Is it me? Do you not want me to be alive?"

"No, no, no, I do," Morro told her earnestly. He picked her up and settled her in his lap, hugging her close to his chest. "I want that more than anything. I want that more than I want to be the Green Ninja."

He sighed, patting down her blonde locks. "But, you're not real."

He felt her tears soaking the front of his gi. "How is this not real? You can see me, you can hear me, you can _touch_ me. It's real to you, and that's all that matters."

He smiled fondly down at her.

"No," he said quietly, placing her on the floor once again. "It's not."

Morro stood up, heading toward his bedroom door.

"So, you want to go back to that world?" Gem demanded, tears coating her voice. "You want to go back to that world that hates you and that team that never liked you and that brother that you can never repay?"

Morro hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. Why _should_ he go back?

He tightened his grip on the doorknob, determined not to lose his resolve no matter what this illusion said.

"I can't repay him," he affirmed, carefully keeping his eyes from looking directly at the human Gem. If he looked at her, alive and happy and together with him again, then he might be tempted to stay. "But, I have to try. I can't run away from it. I won't fool myself. I have to go back."

"But-"

Morro opened the door. "Goodbye, Gem."

* * *

Morro stumbled into a small room almost identical to the one they had first appeared in- the closet like room with the six doors leading each of them to a different traumatic memory.

Except this time, all five of the other ninja stumbled out of their own doorways at the exact same time that he did.

None of them needed to say a word. None of them needed to ask what the others had seen. They all knew. They had been offered the person, thing, _life_ they wanted most in the world… and they had all turned it down.

Jay gasped, pointing. " _Look_!"

And there, instead of a black door leading to another hallway leading to another nightmarish room…, was a green door.

"It's got to be Lloyd! That's where we find him!" Jay insisted excitedly.

"Well, let's not waste anymore time!" Kai decided, marching confidently over to the green door, probably so he wouldn't have to think anymore about whatever he had left behind in his room. "Lloyd, here we come!"

And, the others, desperate to get as far away from the fantasy world they had given up as possible and determined not to wonder if they had made a mistake, eagerly followed.

* * *

 **Could it finally be Lloyd behind the green door!? Next chapter will tell... ;D**

 **Also, here's a fun anecdote: I went to a sort of secondhand/thrift store with my brother and as we were walking through the board game section, I suddenly look to me right and RIGHT there in front of me is the Lego Ninjago board game! I was not even aware that there WAS a board game, so seeing it here randomly was VERY shocking XD Unfortunately, I did not buy it D': Anyway, probably a pretty boring story, but it was very surprising for me! XD**

 **Anyway, have an AMAZING day! :D**


	14. Lloyd

**Hello, everyone! Finally on time! :D I hope you guys like the chapter ;D**

 **Special thanks to: Plumcicle, Inimidesert, TheKittenQueen, MightyShipper, Ebony umbreon, thefiresensei, Katla1, FullMetalPon-3, WindNinja333, RandomDragon2.0, Wolfjem, GalacticD0nuts, GameCubeGirl1, LeaHence, Fxreflies, SpiritDragon, TheYellowNinja, JBomb217, MasterOfMusic139, ColeLoverGirl, Rick Riordan1, PrairieSkies, KyraPlays, and Jadestorm for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Nooo, don't cry yourself to sleep! But, I am glad the chapter made you emotional XD Ew, 6 AM?! I hope you survived XD Thank you for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Yay! If you're THAT on edge, then I've done my job! ;D I know, I don't know what I'd do in that situation! I honestly don't even know what my perfect world would look like... Woah, that sounds like one crazy dream! I had a dream about a double murder mystery! I *think* they caught the murderer(s)... Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: I know, right?! Haha, actually, it was my older brother. A little brother is the only thing I DON'T have :/ "Perfectly?!" You are WAY too kind! Yeah, I know, fantasy is so much better than reality D': (Probably around 80% of my thoughts are occupied by thinking about stories ^-^;) Aw, thank you so much! I was honestly worried that this story plot would be too weird and convoluted, so I'm glad you like it! :D Oh my gosh, "valued immensely" barely covers how much I love your reviews! :D Yep, Thanksgiving break over and now to worry about exams and final essays D': Thank you so so so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Haha, no worries! There is a delay on guest reviews, so don't worry if they don't show up right away! XD Ooh, lazy butterfly feeling is just what I was going for! ;D But, all joking aside, it makes me sooooo happy to know that MY stories can give you any kind of feeling! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: I KNOW, RIGHT?! I mean, Cole is so amazing and selfless and sweet and no one appreciates him ;-; Oh my goodness, believe me, I KNOW about sibling quirks! :/ Was the knock knock joke funny at least? XD And, this was possibly Kai's ONLY chance to see his parents and he STILL chose to leave D': Yay, I'm glad this is reminiscent of the first time we saw the Bone Keeper in Lost Soul, because this *is* the same power at play :D Thank you soooo much for reviewing! I really appreciate them! :3**

 **Rick Riordan1: *And,* Morro miss her even more ;D Ooh, that's exactly what I was trying to showcase! Cole never really had someone to take care of him, and now he takes care of everyone else D': Jay = spazzy. 'Nuff said. And, yeah, that fake Nya was kind of creepy XD Zane needs a LOT of forever hugs D': And Kai, of course, chooses Lloyd :D I'm so happy I made you so emotional! XD Let me know how you like the board game ;D Thank you so so much for leaving these lovely, LOVELY reviews! :D**

 **Jadestorm: Oh my goodness, it makes me so happy that you're rereading all my stories, especially so quickly! No, I don't think you have a problem at all! XD Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing! :D**

* * *

The six ninja found themselves gathered on a dirt path in front of a building. In front of them was a large stone wall surrounding the perimeter with an entrance in front, and behind them was the building, sporting a large tower with a clock proclaiming the time was about eight o'clock in the morning.

The ninja, sans Morro, recognized it almost instantly.

"Darkley's School for Bad Boys!" Zane announced. "This must be one of Lloyd's memories!"

As soon as he said it, as if he had conjured them into being, a woman and small child began walking up the path toward them.

Their eyes were drawn to the woman. Though her hair was a bit shorter and much darker, only graying at the temples, they still recognized her if only because of the familiar pair of glasses sitting on her nose. She was Misako, if a much younger version of her.

Making the little boy that couldn't have been older than four years old, sporting a mop of blonde hair and those piercing green eyes they would recognize anywhere Lloyd.

Sure, he wasn't _their_ Lloyd- this wasn't their beloved Green Ninja that always made such an effort to be mature when he was still just a sweet, naive kid at heart- but seeing even this version of him awake and alive and _moving_ was enough to make any one of them want to run up to him and crush him in a bear hug.

As it was though, they remembered that, like their early experiences observing other people's memories, they wouldn't be able to interfere or interact with any of the original participants. Only watch.

Kai frowned, watching as Misako, with a tense expression on her face, passed them and led Lloyd up to the steps of the school by the hand. "Wait, isn't this when…?"

"Ah, Mrs. Garmadon!"

The ninja jumped at the voice, turning as one to see an unfamiliar man- a former principal perhaps?- saunter out of the building and down the steps.

"Hello," she greeted distractedly. "Is… everything in order? There's nothing else I need to sign?"

"No, no, no, everything is taken care of," the man reassured, an altogether slimy and unpleasant smile taking up residence on his face. "I'm sure with young Lloyd's… _heritage_ , he will be our star pupil in no time!"

Lloyd, who had been staring off into space, obviously unaware of what was about to take place, looked up when he heard his name.

Peering directly at the man for the first time, Lloyd moved slightly behind his mother and tugged on her hand to get her attention.

"Mommy," he whispered. "I wanna go home."

Misako flashed an apologetic look at the principal before kneeling on the ground so she was at Lloyd's eye level.

"Lloyd," she addressed, straightening his black shirt with a nervous thoroughness, as if she didn't know what else to do with her hands. "You see, I have to go away for a while, and you're going to stay with this nice man until I get back. There are ton of other boys here that are your age, so you'll make friends in no time!"

Despite his mother's optimistic tone, Lloyd's eyes were already filling up with tears, glistening like emeralds. He'd only heard " _go away_ " and " _stay here,_ " the phrases most guaranteed to upset a four year old.

"No!" Lloyd protested. "I wanna go with you!"

Misako sighed, standing up and planting a kiss on Lloyd's head as she did so. "I love you, Lloyd. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"No!" Lloyd shouted again, rushing forward and locking his arms around his mother's leg. "I wanna go! I wanna go!"

Misako, biting her lip as if trying to fend off tears herself, gently pried Lloyd's arms off of her. The principal stepped forward, locking his meaty hand on Lloyd's tiny upper arm to keep him in place.

"No! No! No!" Lloyd sobbed, reaching for the mother who was walking briskly away from him, not even deigning to look back, with his free hand. "Let go! Let _go_!"

"Come along, young Garmadon," the man said jovially, seeming delighted by the child's pitiful weeping rather than empathetic. He began climbing the steps to the school building, jerking Lloyd none too gently behind him. "There's much to do!"

Even when they disappeared from view, Lloyd's bawling could be heard until the school's front door slammed shut.

The ninja shifted uncomfortably.

"It's not like we didn't already know what Misako did," Nya offered, half-heartedly defending the woman who had long since exited the school grounds. "Besides, she loves Lloyd."

"If she loved him, why did she leave him?" Morro asked quietly, echoing the same question he had demanded of his own mother.

"We should probably change the subject," Kai cut in suddenly, bitterness staining his voice. "Since Nya 'hates' talking about parents so much."

Nya pressed her lips together with an unamused expression but decided not to take the bait.

"Hey, another green door!" Jay pointed out, gesturing at an out of place door standing erect in the middle of the Darkley's courtyard. "Wait, does Lloyd need to go through it, like we did in our memories?"

"Our past selves became aware of the door and an acute sense of being out-of-place in the memory," Zane explained before nodding at the closed door of the school. "Lloyd gave no indication he saw the door or had the feeling that he should be anywhere else but here. I believe this is truly nothing more than a memory; Lloyd's consciousness must be elsewhere."

Whereas the nindroid's revelation would have usually been met with sounds of agreement or sometimes a congratulations on his logic, the ninja only moved stiffly toward the door. And, though he was the ice ninja, the coldness penetrated his bones as surely as any frostbite.

* * *

Instead of a hallway, the door opened into a luminescent cave, blanketed in what appeared to be ice crystals. Before Nya, who was the only one of their party to have never seen the cavern before, could ogle its otherworldly beauty, the sounds of a fight drew their attention.

"Come on! Catch me if you can!" Kai taunted, egging on Morro, who was currently possessing Lloyd. In response, the ghost slashed angrily at Kai, only to miss him and strike several of the ice stalagmites instead.

"Oh no…," Morro- the current, reformed, human Morro- moaned. Because all of the memories and secrets and desires they had been shown had been significant, a cornerstone of their personalities, so ingrained in their minds that reliving them was like having their insides scooped out, examined, and then forcefully shoved back in.

So, if they were being shown this memory, then despite everything- despite the forgiveness and the brotherhood and the reassurance that Lloyd wasn't scared of him anymore- Morro's possession was still a linchpin of Lloyd's very being.

And, despite all of Morro's hope, something they would never be able to get past.

In the memory, the possessed Lloyd had just trapped himself in the ice crystal spikes, though he struggled valiantly to escape.

"No! You can't trap me. I'll find you, Ninja. Just wait! You'll see!" He called threateningly even as he was forced to watch the ninja hurry off to find the First Spinjitzu Master's Tomb without him.

"No, no, no," Morro muttered to himself hurriedly, trying to wriggle his way free- but the ice pressing in on him from all sides and making Lloyd's puny, human body shiver with-

Wait a second.

Cursing himself for not thinking of it a moment earlier, Morro stepped out of Lloyd's body and phased through the ice crystals, leaving the weak and barely conscious Green Ninja still trapped inside.

"C'mon," Morro whispered hastily, grabbing Lloyd's arm and trying to pull his captive out through one of the small openings he hadn't been able to see from inside. Distantly, he heard a loud rumbling and, glancing over his shoulder, he saw the floor of the cavern collapse. Below, the ninja were speaking in excited tones even if Morro couldn't make out the words, confirming his suspicion that the Realm Crystal- _his_ Realm Crystal, the thing he'd been searching for this _entire_ time- was waiting patiently, ripe for the taking.

Pulling more urgently on Lloyd's arm as he felt his time limit weighing down on him- _he couldn't let the ninja have the Realm Crystal, he couldn't let them leave here without it, he couldn't_ lose _-_ he snapped again, " _C'mon_!"

With a victorious jerk, he hauled Lloyd's all but inert body out of the nest of ice crystals and into a standing position.

"Stopit," Lloyd slurred, using the last of his strength to push Morro away from him. Since he had thought Lloyd was too weak to move, Morro let go mostly out of surprise, and the Green Ninja collapsed face first on the floor with nothing holding him up.

Morro grit his teeth, infuriated even more by this, admittedly pathetic, show of defiance.

Rearing his foot back, he delivered a vicious kick to Lloyd's midsection, causing Lloyd to wheeze and the ninja who were watching to wince.

"You listen here, _Lloyd_ ," Morro growled as he grabbed Lloyd's gi and yanked him back into a semi-standing position. "The only reason you're still alive is because I'm going to trade you for the Realm Crystal."

He bent down to scoop up the Sword of Sanctuary and laughed cruelly. "Not that they'll even _want_ you back, but I guess it's worth a shot."

Human Morro cringed. He had known- he had _known_ \- that Lloyd's worst fear was being alone, being abandoned by his family, and yet he had used that very thing against him. He was good at finding where people hurt the most and stabbing them there, twisting and twisting the blade until they were left raw and bleeding.

And, during his possession, he'd almost bled Lloyd dry.

Ghost Morro jerked the Green Ninja in front of him, using his other hand to hold the Sword of Sanctuary to his throat.

"Now, _walk_ ," he commanded.

As Morro forced Lloyd into the First Spinjitzu Master's Tomb, the ninja looked over to see another green door had appeared.

"Let's go," Human Morro muttered, not wanting to spend another moment in this room. "Lloyd's obviously not here either."

Cole reached out a hand toward him. "Morro-"

"What?" Morro snapped, moving out of range of any physical contact. "You guys think I'm still evil anyway, so might as well watch stuff like this to confirm it, right?" He shook his head in disgust, reaching for the doorknob. "Can we just go?"

The ninja, not having much else to say on the matter and not feeling too magnanimous themselves, said nothing more and followed him through.

* * *

They stepped into a kitchen they didn't recognize. It was homey and comfortable, though obviously lived in, as there were pots and dishes sitting out on the counter as if someone had just made a meal. The refrigerator contained an assortment of colorful magnets, photographs, and pieces of paper obviously boasting some achievement or another.

The six of them suddenly heard laughter from the room around the corner before they could inspect these clues, though, so they crept toward the doorway.

They entered a wine colored dining room, adorned with paintings and other various decorations. At the head of the table was Sensei Garmadon, apparently in the midst of telling some engaging story. To his left was Misako and to his right, facing the ninja, was Lloyd.

He was laughing, as animated and happy and _awake_ as they'd ever seen him. After more than a month without hearing his laugh or his voice, without seeing his bright green eyes _open_ , let alone shining with joy, the scene was almost more than they could handle.

"Lloyd!" Kai exclaimed, taking a step forward and grinning.

And, unlike the memories they had witnessed that had forced them to be spectators, unable to interact with scenes that had already happened, Lloyd looked up.

The instant his eyes lifted to land on the six ninja in his dining room, Garmadon and Misako froze perfectly in place. They only existed as long as Lloyd was paying attention to them.

Lloyd recoiled in fear, and all six of the ninja's hearts dropped simultaneously.

He didn't recognize them.

"Who are you?" Lloyd demanded, half standing up out of his chair. "I'll- I'll call the police! I will!"

"Lloyd, you know us," Cole stated calmly, splaying both his hands to try to quell Lloyd's panic. "We're your brothers. I'm Cole, remember?"

Lloyd shook his head, moving backward until his back was pressed against the wall.

"You're a ninja, Lloyd," Nya tried instead, smiling gently to try to put her little brother at ease. "You had a nasty accident. You're in a coma now, Lloyd, and we need you to wake up."

Lloyd furrowed his brow, staring at the floor and shaking his head vehemently, like he couldn't remember- or, like he didn't _want_ to remember. "No, I'm not a ninja! I go to school, I get good grades, my dad owns a dojo, my mom works from home-"

"On some level, you know this is a dream, Lloyd," Zane interrupted, looking pityingly at his baby brother's parents as they were here in this alternate reality. "Look at them now. They're not moving, because you don't want them to. This is not real, Lloyd."

Lloyd crossed his arms, still staring at the floor. As if he was afraid that if he looked at the ninja for too long, he would recognize them and then he'd _have_ to remember. "It is real. This is real."

"You're the Green Ninja, Lloyd," Jay reminded him. "The world needs you. _We_ need you. We… We _miss_ you, Lloyd."

Lloyd shook his head again, squeezing his eyes shut. "I don't… I don't _care_! I don't care if the world needs me! I don't care if anybody _needs_ me! What about what _I_ need?" He paused, taking a shuddering breath. "I just want to stay here with my mom and dad. I _like_ it here."

"It's not real, Lloyd," Kai repeated, walking around the table to join Lloyd on the other side of it. He grasped both of Lloyd's shoulders, but the Green Ninja didn't look up. " _This_. This is real. _We're_ real."

Lloyd looked up then, the beginnings of recognition beginning to flicker in his bright green eyes.

Still, he shook Kai's off his shoulders. "No, I… I can't-"

Morro, who had walked up behind him, grabbed Lloyd's shoulder and whipped him around so they were facing each other. Grabbing the front of Lloyd's shirt in both hands, he jerked the Green Ninja forward.

"Listen up, Lloyd, because I'm only going to say this once," he said, shaking Lloyd to instill the importance of what he was about to say in him. "I know you want to be selfish right now, but I know you're going to make the right choice. I know, because you are good and kind and selfless and everything that I have ever wanted to be."

Lloyd's green eyes were wide. "Morro."

Morro released him, pushing him back slightly.

"Now, wake up."

* * *

Kai gasped awake.

There was no passing out, no dream sequence or moment of disorientation before he fully regained consciousness. One moment he was there and the next he was _here_ \- in the Bone Keeper's office, kneeling on his stupid purple carpet with his hands chained behind his back and-

Lloyd was lying there on the desk, looking exactly the same as he had before they had entered the mindscape.

"Did it work?" He demanded of the Bone Keeper as he looked left and right down the line at his siblings to see them also awake and waiting for the verdict. He didn't even know what they _did_ ; at the last second, Lloyd seemed to remember them- and then they were gone, back here.

"I don't know," the Bone Keeper replied, barely glancing at Lloyd as he opened his desk drawer. "More importantly, though…"

The Bone Keeper grinned.

"You lose."

* * *

 **...uh oh.**


	15. Welcome to the Bone Keeper's

**Wow, an EARLY update?! Yep, I figured I owed you guys one ;D**

 **Special thanks to: RandomDragon2.0, FiresOfDarkness, Revlis Charm, Inimidesert, MasterOfMusic139, WindNinja333, Katla1, Wolfjem, FullMetalPon-3, LeaHence, MightyShipper, Peanut2196, GalacticD0nuts, TheKittenQueen, Fxreflies, Ebony umbreon, Plumcicle, Jadestorm, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, Rick Riordan1, TheYellowNinja, SpiritDragon, KyraPlays, and thefiresensei for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Ew, 6 AM is terrible! XP The Bone Keeper is definitely very stupid XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Aw, I'm sorry the chapter felt so short! XD But, I'm glad you liked the glimpse into Lloyd's head ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Jadestorm: That has to be one of my favorite Morro lines XD He's so whiny XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Aw, thank you so much! We'll see about Lloyd this chapter ;D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Hm, good idea! We'll see ;D I'm glad you can visualize the scene so clearly, because that is EXACTLY what's going on :D Aw, thank you so much! That really means the world to me! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Lloyd is the gummy bear of ninja, isn't he? XD I'm glad it was so sad for you! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: It makes me so happy that my chapters make you emotional! :D You're totally right; Lloyd should not have to wish for something as simple as both of his parents happy and not evil at the same time D': Morro's also going through a rough time too :/ They both try so hard D': D': D': I love writing torment, so I am SO happy that's shining through XD Thank you soooooo much for your lovely reviews! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Hearts twisting and bleeding is EXACTLY my goal! XD I'm glad you liked the twist! We'll see if they can get out of this one... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"I don't know," the Bone Keeper replied, barely glancing at Lloyd as he opened his desk drawer. "More importantly, though…"

The Bone Keeper grinned.

"You lose."

The ninja gasped, all six heads simultaneously turning to Wrayth to confirm this.

Wrayth shook his head apologetically as he showed them the pocket watch he had been so diligently watching. "An hour and six minutes. Six minutes…"

The Bone Keeper, now revealing that what he was holding in his hand was the wicked, glowing green Dark Dagger, strolled over to Jay, who was at the end of the line of ninja. The blue ninja stared up at him in naked fear whilst glancing frantically at his other teammates, as if silently asking them if this was really happening.

"I'm going to enjoy this," the Bone Keeper announced before jerking Jay up by the front of his gi.

He sank the Dark Dagger deep into Jay's stomach. The other ninja, no matter how angry they were with the lightning master, gasped and cried out as Jay wheezed, slumped over the blade.

The blue ghost yanked the dagger out of his stomach with a flourish before plunging his other hand inside the wound and victoriously extracting a small, oval stone. It was dark blue in color with jagged streaks, reminiscent of lightning bolts, of light blue.

Jay fell to his knees once again, a few tears managing to snake down his freckled cheeks no matter how desperately he tried not to let them fall.

The other ninja peered at him in concern… only to see there was no wound.

"In short, the Dark Dagger opens up a small trans-dimensional portal," the Bone Keeper explained conversationally, sensing their unspoken question. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a velvet, drawstring pouch which he dropped Jay's Soul Stone into. He moved to the next ninja in the line, Zane, and did the exact same thing, this time holding up a white Soul Stone with one faded band of light blue and one faded band of gray stretching diagonally around its middle.

"It is able to enter the most central part of you, that which is not accessible by strictly physical means," he continued conversationally as he took Cole's Soul Stone. Upon stabbing the earth ninja, he twisted the blade unnecessarily, causing Cole to cry out. He yanked out the black Stone with a silver spiral that all of them had seen before. "It does not truly cut you- that is, your physical body- and that is why there is no blood."

He stabbed Nya next, and even though Kai felt so betrayed and embarrassed and wounded when he thought about the way Nya had lied to him, he had to look away when the blade pierced his little sister, wincing when she made a muffled grunt of pain.

But then, something else happened.

Then, Lloyd began to stir.

"Lloyd!" Kai called out, struggling to his feet so he could rush to his baby brother's side-

Only to meet the Bone Keeper's blade.

Funny Kai normally liked fire. But, the way the blade burned through his stomach, the way he felt so fully and sickeningly _violated_ by the way the white hot touch of the dagger reached all the way to his very core-

He wanted to throw up when the Bone Keeper held up the red and orange rock in his hand.

But, what was worse was seeing Lloyd sitting up on the Bone Keeper's desk, staring at Kai and the Bone Keeper with absolute terror in his eyes.

"What-" the Green Ninja whispered, squinting and grabbing his head. "What's-"

"Lloyd!" The ninja, despite their bleak situation, shouted joyfully.

"You're okay-"

"You're _awake_ -"

"Do you remember-"

Lloyd looked back and forth between all of his siblings- his chained, enslaved siblings- with nothing short of horror and confusion.

Meanwhile, the Bone Keeper, completely ignoring the reunion taking place around him, plunged the Dark Dagger into Morro's stomach with vigor. Morro sneered, though he couldn't stop the gasp of pain from escaping him once the Bone Keeper ripped the green and black spotted Stone out of him.

"Well, that," the Bone Keeper said to the group as a whole as he made to drop Morro's Soul Stone into the drawstring pouch along with the others, "concludes our business. Lloyd, you are free to leave at any time, but your friends belong to me now. Pleasure doing business with-"

Wrayth slammed into the Bone Keeper, knocking him over. Though he managed to keep a firm grip on the velvet pouch, Morro's Soul Stone went flying out of his hand. Wrayth swiped the green and black Soul Stone off the purple carpet and hurried over to Morro, hauling him to his feet.

"C'mon!"

Morro wasted no time on shock. He rushed over to the still supremely bewildered Lloyd, presenting his chained hands to him.

"Break the cuffs!" He commanded.

Lloyd dazedly complied, using a small burst of energy to snap the Vengestone handcuffs off Morro's wrists.

"What are you waiting for?!" The Bone Keeper demanded of his ten thugs watching dumbly, struggling to his feet and stuffing the velvet pouch with the other five Soul Stones in it back into his suit jacket pocket. "Get them!"

The ten ghosts surged forward then, diving to snatch Morro, Wrayth, or Lloyd. Wrayth easily tripped two and Morro blew two out of the room completely with his wind elemental power, but the others were closing in.

"There are too many!" Wrayth shouted at Morro as he barely managed to side-step another thug. "We have to go!"

Lloyd shook his head. "The others…"

"We'll come back for them," Morro told him firmly as he grabbed Lloyd's arm, dragging him toward the doorway of the Bone Keeper's office. He kicked a ghost aiming to tackle Lloyd in the stomach, causing him to stagger but not fall.

"Go!" Kai yelled over the chaos. "Get Lloyd out of here!"

Lloyd managed one last desperate glance at his brothers and sister, only able to watch his departure from where they were still kneeling on the floor, before Morro yanked him out of the room.

"This way!" Wrayth called over his shoulder at Morro and Lloyd behind him as they dashed down the stairs three at a time with the Bone Keeper's thugs hot on their trail. Back on the casino's main floor- that was still empty considering it was afternoon- Wrayth barged through a random door, and Morro and Lloyd unquestioningly followed him through.

It was what appeared to be a gigantic garage, nearly bursting with unique and expensive looking vehicles equipped for various terrains.

"Which one tickles your fancy?" Wrayth called teasingly just as the ten ghosts burst into the garage behind them.

"Any one!" Morro shouted as he, a firm hold on Lloyd's wrist, sprinted toward the closed garage door that would take them into the desert. "Pick _any of them_!"

Wrayth came to a stop by a sleek, black convertible that was sitting nearest the garage door. He grinned and laid his hands on it.

Instantly, the convertible transformed into a huge monster truck, glowing green stripes stretching along both sides. Six huge exhaust pipes adorned its back now, sitting at least seven feet above them due to the ridiculously oversized tires. Even the headlights had been changed from simple yellow lights to half-lidded red eyes like that of a monster, casting the entire garage in a red, hellish glow.

Wrayth was already inside. He waved at Morro and Lloyd. "Get in!"

As Morro helped Lloyd scale the mechanical monstrosity, he watched warily as the thugs came to gather around the monster truck and began to climb it as well.

Finally coming to the door, he stuffed Lloyd inside before vaulting himself into the front seat.

"Go, go, go!" He shouted, and Wrayth, a wicked grin on his face, revved the engine. The truck roared as if it were a dragon finding an intruder in its cave. The entire garage trembled and the nearby cars rocked on their axles. At least two of the ghosts climbing the truck were startled by the noise and fell off.

Wrayth slammed the gas pedal to the floor.

Seeing the garage door come hurtling at them, Morro's eyes widened before he ducked his head, expecting a terrible crunching sound… that never came.

He looked up to see the monster truck speeding across the desert landscape at at least a hundred, a hundred and twenty miles an hour. He craned his neck to look behind him only to see the Bone Keeper's handful of ghosts scattered across the sand, unable to hold onto the outside of the speeding machine.

"What, you didn't really think I'd make a monster truck that couldn't turn intangible for a split second, did you?" Wrayth asked teasingly, elbowing Morro in the ribs.

Morro watched until the ghosts became nothing more than green specks in the distance and the Bone Keeper's casino became nothing more than a shadow- and then nothing at all.

"Ooh, Wrayth, that was _incredible_!" Morro gushed, grabbing Wrayth's shoulders and giving them an appreciative shake. "I could kiss you!"

Wrayth made a disapproving grunt. "Okay… but you have to at least buy me dinner first."

Suddenly, a quiet voice from the back seat. "Stop the car."

Morro gasped, twisting around in his seat as if just remembering someone was behind him. "Lloyd, you're awake! How are-"

Lloyd, both hands clutching his head as if they were the only things keeping it from falling off his body, appeared not to be listening, though. Interrupting, he repeated, "Stop the car."

Wrayth, without slowing down in the slightest, raised an eyebrow. "I mean, don't you think we should get a little farther-"

"I said, _stop the car_!" Lloyd shouted, making both Wrayth and Morro in the front seat jump. Out of surprise, the ghost slammed on the brake, bringing his beloved monster truck to a screeching halt.

Before Morro could ask after his wellbeing again, the back door of the truck was slamming shut, Lloyd clumsily sliding down its side until he stumbled onto the sand. Morro and Wrayth shared a look before climbing out of the truck as well, though they were able to disembark much more gracefully than Lloyd.

Morro found his leader on his hands and knees in the sand, as if he couldn't hold himself up anymore.

"Are you okay?" Morro asked, falling onto his knees beside Lloyd. "Is it your head? Stomach? Are you going to throw-"

Morro froze when he heard Lloyd's strangled gasp of breath.

And then he was crying.

Lloyd purposely kept his face pointed toward the ground and seemed to be trying to swallow the sobs before they became audible, but Morro had been around long enough to know when someone was crying. Yet, somehow, seeing the two water droplets splash onto the sand beneath Lloyd's face was a still a shock. How many times had he seen Lloyd cry? _Once_?

Morro looked helplessly at Wrayth, but the ghost only shrugged, possibly having less experience than even Morro in comforting people.

Turning back to Lloyd, Morro hesitantly reached forward and placed his hand on the back of his head, pushing his fingers through the unruly blonde locks.

"Hey, you know it's going to be okay," Morro told him, purposely trying to make his voice soft and soothing and not sure he was succeeding. He wished Kai or Cole or Nya was here; not only did they know how to reassure crying people, but especially after watching that memory of his possession, he was sure he was the last person Lloyd wanted comfort from.

Still, he was the only option at the moment so he had to at least _try_.

"Obviously we're going to save them," Morro stated. He went to stroke Lloyd's hair once again, but then he realized that the back of Lloyd's head, where he'd been hit during the explosion, might still be hurting him. He moved his hand to rub Lloyd's back instead, between his shoulder blades.

"All we have to do- _all_ we have to do- is go get the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone, you know?" Morro pointed out optimistically. "And then we'll get them back, so-"

Lloyd sat back on his heels, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. He barely managed to choke out, "I don't- I don't know what's happening- I don't-"

And Morro felt like an idiot.

The last thing that Lloyd could _possibly_ remember was the explosion; he had no idea about the month he'd spent in a coma, the ninja's decision to approach the Bone Keeper for help, traveling into the mindscape at the risk of their Soul Stones. He had woken up, weak and disoriented, and then had been expected to fight and leave behind the family that had sacrificed everything for him.

He'd woken up from a dream only to be thrust into a nightmare. No wonder he was overwhelmed.

"Hey, hey, hey," Morro said, resuming his soothing strokes. "It's gonna be alright. I'll explain everything, we'll get the others back easily, and everything's going to be alright again, okay?"

Lloyd turned and hugged him.

Morro froze, shocked as Lloyd's arms wrapped around his waist and squeezed. He could count on one hand the number of people he had hugged, and Lloyd had never- _ever_ \- hugged him.

To say it was unexpected was just about the understatement of the _year_ , especially since Morro remembered with a pang of hurt that Lloyd had called him "a ticking time bomb."

But, Morro thawed when he felt the tears soaking into the front of his gi.

He reciprocated the hug hesitantly, as if afraid Lloyd was going to throw him off once he realized who exactly he was hugging. But, the Green Ninja only continued crying into his chest, and Morro rubbed his back soothingly, unsure what else he could say to make Lloyd feel better.

"So, um," Wrayth cleared his throat uncomfortably, shoving his hands into his pockets. " _This_ is the Green Ninja?"

Morro fixed the ghost with a " _really?_ " look. "He just woke up from a coma. Cut him some slack."

Wrayth shrugged without taking his hands out of his pockets. "I'm just saying."

"Okay, well, now you've said it and your opinion has been taken into account," Morro said sarcastically. With an insistent gesture at Lloyd, he asked, "So, why don't you just wait in the car?"

Wrayth scoffed but obediently hauled himself back into the monster truck, slamming the car door shut with more force than necessary.

Morro huffed at Wrayth's overreaction and unconsciously tightened his grip on Lloyd.

"Everything's going to be alright," Morro told Lloyd as the Green Ninja continued to cry. "I promise."

* * *

The ninja waited with baited breath as the Bone Keeper's thugs hesitantly reentered his office. Their heads were hung low, though, none of them quite meeting the Bone Keeper's cold, calculating gaze.

The leader hesitantly stepped forward. "They, um, got away. Sir."

The Bone Keeper showed no outward sign of displeasure aside from a shallow wrinkle between his eyebrows appearing. Meanwhile, the ninja, despite the grudges they held against each other, couldn't help but share excited looks. They had gotten away. Morro. _Lloyd_. Lloyd was _awake_ , and they had gotten _away_.

The Bone Keeper inhaled deeply through his nose. When he exhaled, his trademark grin was back as if it had never left.

"Very well. Can't cry over spilled milk, now can we?" He said, chuckling. "Besides, five ninja is better than none, I suppose." Nodding at his lead thug, he said, "Unchain them. They pose no threat to me now."

"What are you going to do to us?" Jay demanded even as one of the thugs unlocked his handcuffs.

"Well, first," the Bone Keeper held up a finger. "First, some ground rules. And keep in mind that, since I have your Soul Stones, you have no choice but to abide by these.

"One, no fighting. You may not use your elemental powers, your martial arts, nor your 'Spinjitzu.'"

The ninja seethed. Kai, his Vengestone cuffs gone, experimentally tried to light a flame on his thumb.

Nothing happened. The Bone Keeper truly had complete and utter control over them. And, Kai, who took great pride in his independence, hated it.

"Two," the Bone Keeper continued. "Most of you will report to one of my subordinates, and you will obey them without fail.

"Three, you cannot step foot outside the casino."

Kai balked. " _Ever_?"

The Bone Keeper fixed the red ninja with a hard stare. "Am I somehow being unclear? I am your owner; you are my property. The sooner you realize that, the easier this will be for you, so I suggest you make yourselves at home."

He waved a hand dismissively at the door. "Your superiors have their orders. They will show you where to go from here."

The ninja begrudgingly stood up and turned toward the door.

"Except," the Bone Keeper pointed directly at Kai. "You. You stay."

The red ninja frowned, watching the rest of his siblings and the Bone Keeper's thugs file out of the room with apologetic glances at him. He crossed his arms, fixing the Bone Keeper with the most contemptible glare he could muster. He might have to obey, but he didn't have to be happy about it.

"What for?" Kai asked, making sure the recalcitrance was radiating from him like heat from a flame.

The Bone Keeper grinned. "I find myself in need of a personal assistant."

* * *

The Bone Keeper's subordinates who were to be the ninja's new foremen came to the foot of the stairs to collect their newest employees.

"Ooh, you're the fixy one, ain't ya?"

Jay yelped, turning to look at the woman that had appeared at his elbow. She had a mess of dark, frizzy hair and glasses that made her brown eyes look absolutely enormous, like an owl's.

"Um… yes?"

Suddenly, she grabbed his hand, squeezing almost as if she were giving it a massage. "Mm, soft hands. That'll change real quick. C'mon."

Jay flashed a panicked look at Nya as the woman pulled him away- but she froze when her eyes landed on Zane, her already huge eyes somehow growing even wider behind the glasses.

"Well, ain't you a beaut!" She exclaimed, her big, dark orbs roaming over his body like a museum curator appraising a new masterpiece. Zane's eyes shifted side to side uncomfortably, crossing his arms as if to cover himself. "You are definitely coming with me!"

Grabbing Zane's hand as well, she started dragging both him and the blue ninja away.

Another woman marched directly up to Nya next. Her hair was in just about the tightest bun possible without ripping the hairs out of their follicles, and she was wearing a no-nonsense black blazer and slacks. Without preamble, she seized Nya's chin, tilting it this way and that. The water ninja jerked her head out of her grasp, and the older woman pressed her thin lips together disapprovingly.

"Hm. You'll do." She turned on her heel. "Come along."

Nya grit her teeth, but she physically could not disobey. She stomped after her new forewoman.

Cole glanced about himself, seeing that he was the last ninja left standing on the casino's main floor with no other ghosts coming to fetch him in sight.

Hesitantly, he turned to look at the ten thugs who had first captured them in the hotel. "Um, what about me?"

The leader grinned at him with those filthy teeth. He clapped his hands on Cole's shoulder, causing the black ninja to stagger under the impact. "You? A strapping young boy like yourself? You'll become part of the muscle, of course. Name's Gouge by the way."

Cole found himself nodding along as the thugs led him to a room toward the back of the casino. Muscle, huh? He could do that. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could hold out until Lloyd and Morro came back for them.

Gouge and his lackeys led Cole into some sort of breakroom for all of the bouncers, bodyguards, and various other security personnel.

It was the first time since he'd hit his growth spurt that he was the smallest person in the room.

Even that wouldn't have intimidated Cole if he had his super strength, though. Or had the security of knowing he could take out any of these guys with his Spinjitzu if he needed to, or even just a roundhouse kick, but as it was, Cole was helpless. For pretty much the first time in his life, Cole was the guppy in a pond of piranhas.

It didn't help that all of the huge, muscle-bound men that had been chatting amicably only moments before stopped and turned around to stare at him when he entered the room.

The most gigantic ghost in the room was the first to move, stomping over to Cole so that the entire casino shook with every step. Cole forced himself not to back up or swallow nervously, but he was pretty sure his intimidation was palpable anyway.

The ghost grabbed the front of Cole's gi in one of his hammer-like fists, jerking him forward.

"One of the ninja, huh?" He growled, his voice a low and gravelly rumble, like a distant, oncoming train.

"Yeah," Cole tried to answer confidently. There was no point in lying; he was currently wearing his black ninja gi after all.

"One of the ninja," the ghost, that Cole was thinking of naming Hammer, narrowed his eyes. "That got my brother sent to the Cursed Realm?"

Cole's eyes widened. The only people they had sent to the Cursed Realm… were Chen and his Anacondrai cultists. Meaning this guy's brother had been one of them.

Cole shook his head. "Look-"

Before Cole could say another word, Hammer's fist collided with his stomach, causing him to double over and try to keep from throwing up.

"Welcome to the Bone Keeper's," Hammer said sarcastically before slamming his fist into Cole's face.

* * *

 **MY BABY!**

 ***Ahem***

 **The ninja are working for the Bone Keeper?! Lloyd's hugging Morro?! Is the world completely upside down?!**

 **Also, in good news, I have about a week and a half before I'm finished with the semester! Once I get to winter break, I'll REALLY get caught up on everything! Thank you so much for hanging in there with me, guys! I love you all! :D**


	16. Keep Your Friends Close

**I am ECSTATIC to announce that, as of turning in my last essay in this morning, I am OFFICIALLY ON WINTER BREAK! :D Thank you all for being so understanding about my busy schedule, everyone! You guys are absolutely awesome! :D**

 **Nooooow, I will finally be getting around to replying to reviews and PMs and most importantly, WRITING! :D**

 **Special thanks to: MyHeadIsSpining, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, FullMetalPon-3, Inimidesert, KyraPlays, RandomDragon2.0, WindNinja333, Katla1, FlightOfTheFury, TheKittenQueen, GalacticD0nuts, knAngel18, MightyShipper, GameCubeGirl1, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, Plumcicle, Jadestorm, TheYellowNinja, and Rick Riordan1 for reviewing! I love all you guys so much! :3**

 **Replied to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: I'm sorry! XD Poor Cole, I put him through too much D': Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Aw, I'm so glad my story could torture AND amaze you, all before getting out of bed! XD I have a very weak spot for Lloyd and Morro cuteness as well :3 (Obviously XD) That's exactly what we'll find out this chapter! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Well, of course the other ninja matter too, but c'mon, Cole is the top priority, obviously. XD Poor little, confused Lloyd D': Not very much longer to Christmas now! :D I loved the roleplay! XD It was so funny and accurate XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: Yay, I'm so glad you like my inclusion of Wrayth! :D Ooh, that's a good theory! We will see... ;D Ooh, that's a very good idea! I won't make any promises, but I'll certainly try! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Jadestorm: Yes, yes I do XD Aw, that makes me so happy that you find all the world building interesting! Thank you sooooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yay, I'm glad you liked the ninja's Soul Stones! It was so fun to imagine them! :D And, yes, with Wrayth, Lloyd, and Morro on the case, many... MANY things can go wrong XD Yep, I think Lloyd was definitely justified in being upset D': And, seeing about the ninja's jobs is *exactly* what this chapter is about! XD I hope you like it! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Ah, yes, we will see more of her this chapter ;D Oh, yes, a movie marathon is *just* what the doctor ordered for Lloyd :3 We'll see more of Kai radiating cockiness, and that ghost that hurt Cole definitely deserves a barrage of water balloons :D Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Zane shifted his weight uncomfortably, watching as the woman with the huge, round glasses, who had identified herself as Anne Bolts ("so it makes sense when people called me nuts"- it had taken Zane fifteen minutes to realize the pun), and two of her coworkers prepared their lab. Zane had been forced to remove the top of his gi, and though he was a nindroid and had never minded being shirtless before, he felt utterly exposed now. He grabbed his left elbow with the other arm in an attempt to cover himself without looking like he was trying to cover himself.

"Lay down," Anne commanded, pointing at a sort of gurney-cot thing in the middle of the room.

The last thing in the world Zane wanted to do was lay down on that thing, especially considering he saw belts attached to the sides where his wrists and ankles would go and one of the lab assistant ghosts was pushing a tray of terrifying tools closer to it.

But, he couldn't ignore her order.

Zane laid down on the cot and, just as he feared, the lab technicians immediately began restraining his arms and legs. The light on the ceiling was glaringly bright, and Zane found himself, for one selfish moment, wishing he had accepted his father's offer in the mindscape to stay in his workshop for eternity, because at least then he wouldn't have to be here to witness this.

"What are your plans for me?" Zane asked, unable to keep fear from making his voice tremble.

"Well, the Bone Keeper wants to know what makes you tick," Anne informed him as she opened his chest plate, whistling low when she saw the assortment of wires and switches inside his body. Zane had never felt more vulnerable as he did now, not even when Cryptor had forced him to reveal Morro's location during their last adventure in the Departed Realm.

She laughed, "And, who knows, maybe we'll change some things around while we're at it! You could be completely different when you wake up!"

Zane's eyes widened. He wanted to protest, to beg even. " _I want to wake up as_ me _!"_ But, Anne was already reaching for his power switch.

And, Zane, not knowing if it was his last moment as himself- or even his last moment _aware_ \- shut down.

* * *

"I am _not_ wearing this."

"It was not a suggestion."

Nya had been forced by her forewoman, Diane, to change into the waitress uniform, which consisted of a _very_ low cut blouse and a skirt that was so short it should be _illegal_.

"This is _degrading_!" Nya shouted, gesturing angrily at the revealing outfit. "You can't expect me to traipse around in this thing!"

"I can, and I do," Diane said severely, signalling that anymore arguing would not be tolerated. "The other girls will show you the ropes, and I expect to hear glowing reviews from our customers."

"No, but I-"

Diane, on her six inch heels, _click-clicked_ away, leaving Nya sputtering angrily in the kitchen. The water ninja turned to a loose group of girls giggling nearby. Outside, the sun had set and the casino's patrons were finally filing in, the sound of slot machines already polluting the air. Nya, despite knowing that service would start any second, hurried by the open doorway so no one would see her in this ridiculous outfit and joined the other girls.

"Are you guys seriously okay with this?" She fumed.

The waitresses shared uneasy looks, as if afraid Diane- or worse, the Bone Keeper- would appear right behind them.

"There's nothing we can do," the woman directly in front of Nya told her, shrugging. "He _owns_ us."

"It's better if you just don't think about it," the redhead to Nya's right said cheerfully. "We like to pretend we're somewhere else."

"Don't let them touch you," the dark-skinned one to her left said, her voice low as if sharing some incriminating secret. "Act coy, play hard to get, do anything you have to. Just don't let them touch you."

Nya, face slack with horror, was just about to say something- what, she didn't know, but there had to be a solution, there had to be _some_ solution to this- when Diane called. "Service!"

The ladies flashed Nya apologetic shrugs, as if remembering their first days on the job, before plastering on their customer service smiles and picking up trays of food.

Nya watched all of them pass through the doorway before she caught Diane fixing her with a death glare. Taking a deep breath, Nya took up a tray of various disgusting looking dishes and trudged through the door.

She ignored the catcalls, maintaining a little, oblivious smile on her face, somewhere between an invite and a challenge.

Pretend she was somewhere else? She could do that. Just until Morro and Lloyd came back for them. Just until then.

* * *

Jay unscrewed the back of yet another slot machine, sighing as he studied its _very simplistic_ inner workings. A twist there, an adjustment here, replace that bulb and _voila_! The machine was fixed. Jay ripped the "Out of Order" sign off the front of the slot machine with rancor, before skulking off to find something else equally as boring and stupid to fix.

Honestly, when "Nuts" Anne Bolts (Jay couldn't help but giggle in spite of himself at the pun) had told him he would be fixing things, he had been a little excited. Finally, something he understood, something where he could just focus on the logic of the technology rather than all these emotional problems he was having with his friends.

But after only four and a half minutes of changing light bulbs and bringing slot machines back to life so yet another degenerate ghost could rack up debt, Jay realized that he liked _inventing_ things much better than he liked _fixing_ things. Already, he'd had ideas for fifteen different inventions, and the night wasn't even half over.

And yet, not only could he not act on these ideas, he couldn't even _tell_ anybody about them.

Jay had never won a round of "The Quiet Game" in his life, and going on four hours without saying a word was really starting to take a toll on him. He had seen Nya in passing (and, yes, _of course_ he found her attractive in that waitress uniform, but, really, he was only depressed by the fact that she was being paraded in front of all these other guys like that when she was so much more than a pretty face) but hadn't been able to talk to her.

As he spotted another lonely slot machine in the corner with the glaring white and red "Out of Order" sign stuck onto it, he dragged himself over to it… only to jump and hurry over when he saw the bouncer that was leaning against the nearby wall.

"Cole!" He exclaimed excitedly- until he got close enough.

"What- what _happened_?!"

A huge dark red and purple bruise stretched across Cole's left cheekbone. Near the bottom edge of the bruise was a long, thin cut, as if the person who had hit him had been wearing a ring that had scratched him.

Looking him over now, Jay spotted another bruise peeking out of Cole's collar and decorating his clavicle. And, Cole, who always seemed to hold himself so confidently, was leaning against the wall tenderly and rigidly, as if it hurt too much to relax.

"Nothing," Cole grumbled, looking away. "You know we have a lot of enemies here. This was bound to happen sooner or later."

"We have to tell someone," Jay asserted, leaning closer to better inspect Cole's face. "Surely, they would-"

"No one's going to stop it, Jay. The Bone Keeper made it so we couldn't fight back. He _wanted_ this to happen." Cole went to shrug- winced- and carefully lowered his shoulders once again. "I'm fine."

Jay frowned. "No, Cole, we have to-"

" _Jay_. Just stop," Cole snapped, shying away from the blue ninja's concerned gaze. "Okay? Just leave me alone."

Jay backed up a step out of shock. "I'm just trying to help," he muttered. "What's the problem?"

Cole balked, as if shocked Jay had even asked that. "What's the _problem_? The problem is I don't want your help. The problem is I don't even want you _around_ me. The problem is you're a _liar_ , Jay!"

Jay cringed, reaching out a hand to place on Cole's shoulder. "Cole, listen, I'm-"

" _No_ , Jay," Cole interrupted, moving out of range of Jay's arm. "It's too late to 'listen.' I mean, I thought we told each other _everything_. I even told you that my mother was an alcoholic- that I found her corpse- something I've _never_ told anybody else. And, you can't tell me about a week of _my_ life? A pirate genie that _killed_ Nya? Our entire world was coming to an end as we knew it, and you didn't think that was something worth sharing?"

Jay shook his head, scrabbling for purchase on this steep slope Cole was pushing him down. "No… I mean… It wasn't like that…"

But, Cole was on a roll now. "And, then- and _then_ \- I'm driving myself crazy these past few days, trying to figure out what's wrong with you, trying to think if it's something _I_ did… because you couldn't just tell me you were jealous of Morro. That you were mad at me for trying to be a good brother to Morro, when all _you_ did was push him away! I mean, who knows if Morro will even come back for us after everything you said?"

Jay was staring determinedly at the carpet, trying to stop the tears that were collecting on his eyelids from spilling over. "Cole-"

"Look, we're both going to get in trouble if we keep standing around talking," Cole said, his tone ice cold and stabbing Jay right through his heart. "So, just go. Please."

The blue ninja hurriedly wiped his eyes on his sleeve and nodded, knowing there was no way he could get through to Cole right here, right now. Gripping his tool box more tightly, Jay turned on his heel and fixed the slot machine that had drawn him there in the first place as quickly as possible, so he could escape and collect himself in private.

Still, it was only a tactical retreat, not a surrender. Jay was going to win his friends back if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

 _Twenty seven tiles in the ceiling… Just like the last time I counted… Maybe I should count again to triple check…_

Kai groaned, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyeballs as if he could squeeze out the boredom that way. Ever since the Bone Keeper had bid him stay behind to be his "personal assistant," Kai had done a few odd jobs like sharpening pencils and recording some letters the Bone Keeper dictated (which was only embarrassing since the ghost used really huge and complex vocabulary, so Kai had to keep asking him how to spell certain words), but all of his tasks seemed like things meant to keep him busy rather than being of true importance.

And, now, in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun was rising and Kai had been awake for nearly twenty four hours, he was lying on his back on the plush purple carpet, trying not to fall asleep in the presence of his mortal enemy, who was calmly shuffling through some papers at his desk.

" _Ugh_ ," he groaned aloud, pushing himself up off the floor to try to wake himself up. "Why do you even need a 'personal assistant?' I've barely even done anything for you."

The Bone Keeper glanced at Kai over the top of his paper with an amused smile. "Are you familiar with the term, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?'" He set the papers down, clasping his hands on top of them. "Though I do hope that can change. I think that you and the other ninja will find this arrangement much more pleasant if you cooperate willingly."

Kai scoffed. "Are you familiar with the term, 'Never gonna happen?'"

The Bone Keeper's smile remained on his face, not bothered by Kai's defiant tone in the slightest. "Despite what you might think, Kai, I am not an unfair or cruel ghost. I don't steal or threaten. Those that I make deals with come to me for help, and I am compensated for my services. It is a very simple economy."

Kai, unable to stand any longer, lowered himself into one of the imposing arm chairs facing the Bone Keeper's desk. The leather crackled beneath him as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Yeah, but with what you can do- wake people up, _find_ people's loved ones- I mean, you could help so many people! If you did it for free instead of forcing people to give up their _souls_ for information, you could make a _difference_."

The Bone Keeper chuckled, shaking his head fondly as one did when a child claimed they wanted to grow up to be a princess. "You remind me of my daughter. So feisty and headstrong, and yet naïve in everything you do."

Kai couldn't even be insulted at being called naïve, since he was still trying to figure out if he'd heard the Bone Keeper right or if his sleep-deprived brain was playing tricks on him. "D-Daughter? _You_ have a daughter?"

"I was alive once," the Bone Keeper said by way of explanation, taking up his papers again as if to signal that the conversation was over.

But, Kai wasn't giving up that easily. "Where is she? Is she here now?"

The Bone Keeper sighed. "No. She is the only person I do not want to find."

Kai, horrified by the idea of a parent having the ability to find where their child was, having them be right at their fingertips… and choosing not to find them, sputtered, "But-"

"I know what you must think of me, especially after your little… 'ordeal' in the mindscape with your parents and your sister," the Bone Keeper said.

Kai knew that the Bone Keeper was trying to throw him off balance, that he was using the knowledge he had to always turn the conversation against the other person, using words as effectively as any weapon.

Kai knew that, but it didn't stop it from working. Because suddenly he remembered the way his mother had looked at him when she'd asked him to stay, the feeling he'd had at four years old when he lost them, and then _Nya_. Nya's words hit him again all at once and the anger and embarrassment and betrayal came flooding back, washing over him like a cold shower.

"You saw all that?" Kai eventually asked quietly, feeling like he had been scraped raw now that his enemy had seen him at his weakest, most vulnerable moments.

"Of course. As I said, all minds are connected. Even mine. Though, I will admit that I could not see your ideal world. That being said, it's easy enough to guess who you saw. Left behind your poor mother, didn't you?"

Kai was silent.

The Bone Keeper nodded, Kai's silence confirming what he thought as much as a verbal "yes" would. Waving at Kai by way of dismissal, he said, "Now, go. Get some sleep. I expect you back here tomorrow night when we open again."

Numbly, Kai stood up and shuffled toward the door. An older woman appeared and smiled at him- which only reminded Kai further of his own mother or even his sister that had assumed the role for him more than once- before leading him down the stairs and toward a room nearer the back of the casino.

When he entered the room, he saw the rest of his siblings already gathered inside. There were five cots that looked extremely uncomfortable and took up most of the floor space in the room. Zane was already lying down in the cot closest to the back wall of the room. He was facing away from them and made no effort to interact or even appear present, and the others were all but ignoring him in return.

Meanwhile, both Jay and Nya stood upon Kai entering the room, both appearing hopeful.

"Kai!" Jay exclaimed as he approached the red ninja. "What-"

Kai, who was angrier with Nya than he was with Jay for lying about Nadakhan and the Sky Pirates but still plenty angry at the blue ninja, rushed past Jay when he saw Cole lounging tensely on his own cot.

"Who did this?" Kai demanded, grabbing Cole's face to inspect the ugly purple bruise and cut. "Give me a name."

"Just one of the other bouncers," Cole mumbled, pulling away. "Apparently none of them are a fan of the ninja."

Kai cracked his knuckles, growling. "Don't worry, I'll-"

"Kai, there's nothing you can do," Cole said, his voice dripping with resignation. "You can't fight, and if you try, you'll probably get in trouble." He aimed for a reassuring smile but winced and let it drop when it pulled at the cut on his cheek. "I can handle it. Really."

Kai maintained his murderous expression for a moment before accepting that Cole was right. At the moment, there was nothing he could do, especially if the Bone Keeper insisted on keeping him locked up in his office day after day like a pet.

"We just have to make it until Lloyd and Morro get back," Kai said instead, begrudgingly speaking to the room as a whole, since, however much they didn't like it, they were stuck together for the time being. "Lydia still has the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone, so all they have to do is get it and then make him let us go. We can hold out until then."

This assertion was met with less than enthusiastic noises of agreement from the others, but it was agreement nonetheless.

Cole laid down in his bed, but Nya and Jay still approached the two ninja, as if wanting to make amends.

Kai took two long strides to the light switch and flipped it off, indicating that there was no time for conversation. Jay, discouraged by this and the fact that a soft snore was already emitting from Cole's cot, sighed and laid down in his cot as well.

Nya, not so easily put off though, continued walking up to her brother. "Kai, we need to talk."

"You've said enough," the red ninja replied coldly. It was easier to give her the cold shoulder when the light was off; that way he didn't have to look at her face and remember that she was his little sister, the one he had cared for and protected for his entire life and would die for in a heartbeat. With the light off, all he had of her was her voice, and it was easier to imagine that voice saying that she hated and had always hated the fact that he missed their parents.

"Kai, please-"

"Please what?" Kai demanded. "What do you want to say to me?"

"I'm _sorry_ -"

"For what? For making me feel like a complete idiot? For making me think that I had this unbreakable bond with my sister because we could tell each other _anything_ when, really, she's been lying to my face this whole time?" Kai shook his head even if Nya couldn't see it in the darkness. "No, Nya. _I'm sorry's_ not enough for that."

And, with that, Kai stomped over to the unoccupied cot beside Cole and threw himself down on it.

A moment later, he heard Nya sigh and shuffle over to her own cot.

And, even though Kai's eyes were burning from sleeplessness, he couldn't fall asleep, not comforted in the slightest by the other ninja's breathing like he had been back when they shared a room.

He couldn't help but think that waiting for Morro and Lloyd to get back would have been a lot easier if he felt like he had four other siblings with him to help him through it.

* * *

 **Sooo, everyone's kind of in a bad situation :/ Hopefully they can last until Lloyd and Morro get back.**

 ***If* they get back... XD**

 **Next chapter: we check in with the dream team of Wrayth, Morro, and Lloyd! :D**

 **Thank you all for reading, and expect to be seeing many a review reply from me very soon! :D**


	17. You're Like a Butterfly

**Yes! An early chapter since I am going to be busy all day tomorrow! :D**

 **Haha, I'm so happy everyone loved the unofficial name of the "dream team." Also, just to clarify, this chapter is not happening at the same time as the last chapter: the ninja were working at night while Lloyd and Morro were sleeping, and now the ninja are sleeping in the day during this chapter. :D**

 **Special thanks to: Katla1, GameCubeGirl1, KyraPlays, WindNinja333, FullMetalPon-3, MightyShipper, Inimidesert, GalacticD0nuts, RandomDragon2.0, RandomDragon2.0, Wolfjem, Ebony umbreon, Guest, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, Rick Riordan1, TheYellowNinja, Plumcicle, FlightOfTheFury, Revlis Charm, and SpiritDragon for reviewing! :D I can not believe we're already up to almost FOUR HUNDRED reviews! Thank you all so much! All your reviews really mean the world to me! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: I'm sorry this story is making you so sad! Don't worry, there's a super fluffy chapter coming up in Getting to Know You, so hopefully that will balance out the angst! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Ooh, so you're off now? Yay! :D Suffocating tension is definitely what I was going for! ;D Haha, I'm glad you liked the name XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Haha, I love puns too, so I'm glad you enjoyed XD And, yes! A little peek into the other people at the Bone Keeper's casino, at least some of which are also slaves ;-; Hopefully the ninja can pull through until the others get back! :/ Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: You are correct in both instances: the ninja need to make up and gang up on the Bone Keeper, and the dream team rocks XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: You're totally right! All of them are in terrible situations and this is when they should be banding together! ;-; Aw, I'm so glad you remembered that conversation from Kai's Five Times! YES, that is exactly what we're exploring here! :D I know, I would HAAAATE to be in Nya's situation :/ Actually, "dream team" was just a spur of the moment thing, but I'm glad everyone seemed to like it so much XD We'll see... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Plumcicle: I'm glad you liked the aftermath-y chapter! Sure, we can have a ton of action, but there's always going to be fallout after, and we have to deal with that too ;-; Some major healing definitely needs to go on ;-; Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Haha, no, you still need your heart! (So, I can break it again with more angst XD) We'll see about Zane ;D And, I totally agree! I would feel sooo self-conscious in Nya's situation :/ Poor Jay is estranged from all his friends, and Cole's suffering the consequences of merciless punches without being able to defend himself. (I totally know the anime example you're talking about XD) Ah, yes, Kai's whole thing with the Bone Keeper's daughter... :3 Yeeeeaaah, it's kind of Cole vs. Jay, Kai vs. Nya, and Zane vs. ...everyone ;-; Got to have angst! (But, there will (eventually) be fluff... ;D) Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Lloyd woke up to the sensation of sunlight hitting his face. Not an unpleasant way to wake up.

Until he opened his eyes and realized that he was inside the monster truck that Wrayth had enhanced.

Until he remembered that _somehow_ they were in the Departed Realm.

Until he remembered that Kai, Cole, Jay, Nya, and Zane were _somehow_ slaves to the Bone Keeper now.

Until he remembered how he had cried in Morro's arms… utterly humiliating himself.

Lloyd sat up gingerly, still feeling disoriented and… _off_ , for lack of a better word, despite getting a goodnight's sleep- _more_ than a goodnight's sleep, since he had presumably been sleeping since he'd had an emotional breakdown the afternoon before. He realized that they weren't moving but were parked somewhere in the desert surrounding the Bone Keeper's casino.

Peering over the seat in front of him, he saw Morro snoring with the side of his face pressed flush against the glass of the passenger side door.

Beside him was Wrayth, surprisingly awake despite not having acknowledged Lloyd even though he must have noticed the Green Ninja stirring. He was messing with a piece of string, looping it around his fingers as if playing a sort of Cat's Cradle game with himself.

"Um. Hi," Lloyd greeted awkwardly. Morro was the common link here, obviously, and Lloyd found himself wishing the wind master would wake up at the sound of his voice and make the necessary introductions. Morro continued snoring without a care in the world, though, so Lloyd went on. "I guess we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Lloyd."

"Yeah, I know who you are," Wrayth replied without looking up from his string. "You're the Green Ninja. And, the little one Morro owned."

Lloyd frowned, hating the phrase "owned" in reference to his possession more than anything else. Still, Lloyd was polite to a fault, so he didn't comment. "Yeah, but we've moved past that. We're brothers now."

Wrayth snorted with laughter, but Lloyd couldn't for the life of him figure out what was so funny about that. He tried to recall what he knew about Wrayth from the time Morro had possessed him. It was not much; Morro had been _very_ good at locking Lloyd out of his mind, whereas Lloyd, completely out of his element, had been all but helpless. Still, Morro hadn't been able to mask the burst of excitement he'd experienced when he summoned Wrayth with the Allied Armor of Azure, leading Lloyd to believe the two were friends. He hadn't interacted much with Wrayth after that, leaving the ghost largely a mystery in Lloyd's mind. Except, apparently, he was helping them now. Somehow.

When it looked like Wrayth wasn't going to continue the conversation of his own accord- like a _good_ conversation partner would- Lloyd glanced around and asked, "Um… where are we?"

"Away from the Bone Keeper," Wrayth replied shortly. "Isn't that all you need to know?"

Lloyd rubbed his forehead in exasperation, wondering if this was some sort of prank. "Don't you think I need to know where we're _going_?"

"Morro hasn't decided where we're going yet."

Lloyd, frustrated, was about to snap that _he_ was the leader, and so he outranked Morro- when Wrayth suddenly reached over and slapped Morro on the back of the head.

Morro jumped, grabbing the back of his head. " _Ow_!" When he looked over to see Wrayth snickering, Morro retaliated by smacking him in the back of _his_ head.

"Ow!" Wrayth protested. He punched Morro in the arm, so hard Lloyd cringed when he heard the familiar sound of knuckles on flesh.

Morro yelped, then went to punch Wrayth back- when the ghost turned intangible. Morro's fist went right through him, causing the wind master to pitch forward with the momentum.

Lloyd thought this strategy would only make Morro madder, and and that this might devolve into a full out _brawl_ …

When both Wrayth and Morro busted up laughing, leaning on each other for support in their jubilation.

Lloyd blinked. This was weird, right? Then again, he was the only one of three not finding the situation absolutely hilarious, so didn't that make _him_ the weird one?

Morro wiped away an imaginary tear as his laughter died down- then jumped again when he noticed Lloyd watching them with a borderline concerned expression from the back seat.

"Lloyd!" He exclaimed, turning around in his seat. "Are you… feeling better?"

An image of Lloyd attaching himself to Morro and sobbing his eyes out crossed Lloyd's mind, and the Green Ninja looked away, blushing. "Yeah. Much better." Clearing his throat, he forced himself to meet Morro's eyes once again. "But, can you _please_ explain what's going on? Why can't I remember anything?"

"I'll explain on the way," Morro assured him. "But, first, we need to figure out where we're going. The Bone Keeper's probably already sent people after us. We've got to find Lydia and get the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone from her so we can force him to give the others' Soul Stones back to them." Morro sighed. "I guess the city is still our best bet to get a message out to the Lost Souls, wherever they are."

Lloyd opened his mouth-

When Wrayth spoke instead. "You know, I always thought it was weird that you and the Lost Souls didn't just use Gem's castle as your headquarters. I mean, it's a pretty nice place."

Morro gasped, snapping his fingers. "Wrayth! You're a _genius_!"

Wrayth straightened, a pleasantly surprised smile on his face. "Finally, someone recognizes it."

Lloyd groaned, now wishing he hadn't been relegated to the back seat so he could at least pretend like he was a part of the conversation. "Why is Wrayth a genius?"

"Because, Gem is waiting for me to get back here! Of course she'd go somewhere I'd be able to find her!" Morro nodded righteously. "They have to be there. Let's go!"

"Wait!" Lloyd called, though his voice was drowned out as Wrayth revved the engine once again. Whenever the monster truck was content to growl instead of roar, Lloyd huffed and tried again. "Wait, how can you be so sure? I mean, if we go and we're wrong, then we wasted-"

"It's two out of three, Green Bean," Wrayth threw over his shoulder as he pressed on the accelerator. "And, I'm driving."

Lloyd grit his teeth in frustration. He threw himself against the back of the seat and glared out the window. Three was certainly a crowd, and yet it felt like _he_ was the third wheel here.

* * *

True to his word, Morro related the story of the past month to Lloyd. While the Green Ninja was relieved to finally figure out how he had gotten from Point A to Point B, he was horrified to realize that he had been asleep for an entire month of his life, and then more horrified to hear that the ninja had made such a terrible bet to save him… and lost.

It didn't help his sour mood that Wrayth kept interrupting the yarn to reminisce about some random memory with Morro. Honestly, it reminded him of Darkley's: petty boys trying to draw away the attention of the mutual friend for the sole purpose of making the other one feel left out. Maybe Lloyd was judging Wrayth prematurely- maybe he had no idea what he was doing- but it certainly felt intentional after the third or fourth time.

Either way, Morro seemed not to notice, as he was more than happy to return to his tale after he finished laughing about some silly memory with Wrayth, and for that, at least, Lloyd was grateful.

It was during a short break, when they were stretching their legs, that the car came.

"Ugh, I'm _starving_ ," Morro complained as he paced by the truck.

Lloyd, who had been standing a little farther away, squinted at the horizon when he was positive he had seen movement. Once the black dot become a slightly bigger black dot, he concluded that it had to be a vehicle of some sort that was heading straight for them.

"Someone's coming," he called back to the other two. True, he was farther away, and it seemed like Morro hadn't heard him.

But, Wrayth _definitely_ heard him- the ghost turned and looked _directly_ at Lloyd- before turning back to Morro and flicking the back of his head. "That's what you get for choosing a weak, human body over a ghost one," he laughed.

Lloyd, narrowing his eyes, hurried a few steps closer and repeated more loudly, "Someone's coming!"

This time, Morro did turn around to look, and his eyes widened when he spotted the same approaching object Lloyd had.

"That's probably the Bone Keeper's lackeys!" He concluded as he began climbing into the monster truck. "Let's go!"

Lloyd made to follow- when Wrayth held up a hand. "Wait! I know that car!"

Morro, holding onto the monster truck with one hand and using the other to shield his eyes from the sun, squinted in the direction of the oncoming vehicle. Lloyd, not having any idea how Wrayth could have spotted any distinguishing features at that point, was about to yell that it was better to be safe than sorry- when Morro gasped excitedly, hopping off the monster truck altogether.

The car had gotten close enough now that one could make out the individual passengers inside.

And, Lloyd's heart involuntarily dropped.

Although it had been a long time since he had seen Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer, he remembered their faces perfectly. He had interacted with them much more than he had with Wrayth. They had tormented him, humiliated him throughout his captivity, and though Morro's face had been the one that most frequently haunted his nightmares, theirs were always right there on the periphery, mocking him, laughing at him, reasserting Morro's claims of his worthlessness and patheticness.

And, now they were here.

Bansha, who was driving, waved before laying into the horn as if she hadn't gotten their attention yet. She was heading straight for them in the muted red car and didn't seem to be slowing down. The car kept speeding toward them, and just as Lloyd was going to try to push Morro out of the way, Bansha jerked the wheel to the right, sending the car into a donut.

Morro and Wrayth cheered as Bansha circled the monster truck with Ghoultar and the Soul Archer leaning out of the windows, but Lloyd only wrinkled his nose at the smell of burning rubber. Not to mention the fact that she was getting awfully close with the car- and she wasn't used to being around humans who would _not_ be okay after having a car pass through them- so he pressed his back against the monster truck as inconspicuously as possible in case she did fly a little too close to the sun.

Wrayth noticed his fear, though, and laughed at him. Lloyd, embarrassed, looked away.

Finally, Bansha wrenched the car to a stop, and the three ghosts poured out of the doors. Wrayth and Morro ran forward to meet them while Lloyd hung back, noticeably _less_ excited about their arrival.

"Bansha! You're looking ravishing as always," Morro complimented, pouring on the charm. (Even though she was wearing the red hood Lloyd had never seen her without, so it was impossible for Morro to know if she looked ravishing or not.) He clasped his hands together and bat his eyelashes, as if begging. "Have you thought about giving me a chance yet?"

"Screw you," the ghost retorted. Lloyd was shocked by this rather vulgar response, but the others only laughed loudly and with reckless abandon.

"Please do!" Morro replied cheekily, inciting yet more raucous laughter. Lloyd scrunched his nose, feeling even more left out than he already was.

"Soul Archer," Morro addressed regally, as if approaching a nobleman. "Have you missed yet?"

The Soul Archer scoffed and responded as if he were talking down to a peasant. "As I told you when we first made that bet, I never miss."

"I can vouch for that," Bansha offered.

"Hm, never is a long time, my friend," Morro pointed out teasingly. "How many lifetimes of servitude am I up to?"

"Twenty seven," the Soul Archer replied automatically.

"But, I win them all back when you miss, right?"

"Which will never happen."

Before Morro could concoct an appropriately snarky comeback, Ghoultar barreled forward and crushed the wind master in his tree trunk like arms, lifting the human clear off the ground and swinging him around like a rag doll.

"Ghoultar miss Morro!" He exclaimed, somehow squeezing Morro even harder than he already was and making Lloyd afraid his brother's eyeballs were going to pop out of his head.

"I- _ack!-_ somehow missed- _ugh_ \- you too, ya big lug," Morro admitted in between grunts of pain as his spine was realigned.

"Alright, alright," Wrayth said, tapping Ghoultar's arm. "Remember, Morro's _human_ now." He explained, as if "human" was synonymous with "sewer rat" or "slime on the bottom on one's shoe," and making Lloyd feel even more self-conscious than he already was.

"Oh, yeah…," Ghoultar said quietly, slowly releasing Morro and letting him drop back to the ground.

Morro only laughed, though, stretching his back to get the newfound kinks out. Then, as if remembering Lloyd was quietly existing in the background, he turned and gestured at the Green Ninja.

"And, uh, you guys remember Lloyd, right?"

Somehow, getting the reassurance that he had not, in fact, turned invisible was not better than being completely ignored. Because, Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer all simultaneously looked up at him, and Lloyd felt the same stomach dropping flash of fear he'd felt when he first saw them.

The three ghosts floated over to him, inspecting him as if he were modeling their latest fashion masterpiece.

"Too skinny," the Soul Archer commented disdainfully, reinforcing Lloyd's earlier assessment of being compared to slime on the bottom of one's shoe.

"Better when Morro was in him," Ghoultar concluded mournfully.

"He's got those naïve eyes," Bansha said affectionately, trailing a hand down his bicep and making him shiver involuntarily (which was undoubtedly her goal.) "I bet he's never even kissed a girl."

"So, why exactly are you guys here?" Lloyd asked irritably, only partially to distract from the fact that he really had never kissed a girl (unless Nya kissing him on the cheek counted, which he was pretty sure it didn't.)

"What, are you not happy to see us?" Bansha teased.

"Wrayth did not show up for our meeting in the city," the Soul Archer explained, still with the air of an educated man talking down to a street urchin. He didn't even meet Lloyd's eyes, but seemed to look somewhere over his shoulder as if it was beneath him to grant someone direct eye contact. "We managed to track him here, only to find Morro- and you- here as well."

Lloyd was about to ask him to elaborate further- when Wrayth jumped excitedly. "This is great! Now you guys can come with us to get the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone, and you can catch up with Morro!"

Lloyd's eyes widened entirely of their own accord. Because it had been bad enough during this meet and greet, and he was more than ready to send the three ghosts on their way, _"thanks for stopping by, and why don't you take Wrayth with you while you're at it?"_ But, they were already nodding excitedly in agreement, as if in anticipation of sharing anecdotes of all the things Morro had missed out on.

"The Bone Keeper?" Bansha repeated. "Count me in. It's about time somebody put that jerk in his place."

"Our business in the city can wait," the Soul Archer reaffirmed. "It's not often we get to spend time with an old friend."

"Ghoultar want to go!" Ghoultar so eloquently chimed in.

"Great!" Wrayth cheered. "Six can fit in the monster truck!"

Morro was grinning, but he had subtly sidled closer to Lloyd. Turning to the Green Ninja, he asked, "Does that sound okay to you, Lloyd?"

Logically, Lloyd had no reason to refuse. Morro had explained that Wrayth and the others had (supposedly) turned over a new leaf. If anything, they weren't currently attacking Lloyd or making plans to conquer the world, and either way, there wasn't much they could do by way of evil trapped here in the Departed Realm. And, it wasn't as if Lloyd had to train them or fight with them; the mission was simple- peacefully retrieve the Soul Stone from their allies- and having a few passengers along for the ride wasn't going to make it any more difficult.

Besides, Morro had _asked_. Knowing the potential discomfort Lloyd might experience with the arrangement, he had _asked_ for _permission_ , and Lloyd knew that, despite Morro's qualms with his leadership, he would do whatever Lloyd said.

And, he seemed so _excited_ …

"Yeah, of course," Lloyd answered and immediately hoped he wouldn't regret it.

The others cheered, shoving each other in an attempt to get into the monster truck first. Wrayth pulled himself up behind the steering wheel once again, and Bansha and the Soul Archer quickly claimed the rest of the front of bench, relegating Ghoultar to the back seat.

Sighing, Lloyd made to climb up next-

Morro grabbed his wrist, holding him back.

"Thanks," he told the Green Ninja sincerely, reinforcing the notion that Lloyd had made the right decision, if only so he could get a rare and sought-after thank you from the wind master himself. "I know this might be hard for you, so-"

"It's okay," Lloyd reassured. If anything, this was a good exercise for Lloyd to practice overcoming his fears. And, he was doing something nice for someone else. If he looked at it that way, it wasn't so bad. "I can handle it."

Instead of agreeing like Lloyd thought he would, Morro got this little frown on his face, like Lloyd was wearing a hat and Morro didn't want to be the one to tell him it was hideous.

"What?" Lloyd asked, not sure if he should be offended or not. "You don't think I can handle it?"

"No, no, it's not that. It's just… How do I put this…?" Morro tapped his chin thinking. "You're like… a butterfly."

Lloyd blinked. "Um… what?"

"You're like a butterfly, and we're like moths," Morro clarified, now confident in this analogy. "You know, you and the other ninja are all just so friendly and gentle and loving with each other. And, we're… uglier. Tougher. Meaner. Not as fragile."

Lloyd blinked again, but Morro held up his hands before he could even try to come up with a response. "They're good guys- don't get me wrong. I just don't want you to be… you know, _shocked_ by the way they act."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. Sure, Morro was looking out for him, but he had also called Lloyd "fragile" and "gentle," and those were not stereotypes Lloyd wanted persisting.

"I've seen them at their worst," Lloyd reminded the wind master, wishing Morro would give him a little more credit. "I don't think I'm going to be _shocked_."

* * *

Lloyd was shocked.

First of all, the ghosts were _potty mouths_. Every other word out of their mouths was a cuss word, even when one didn't seem necessary. Once again, he was reminded of Darkley's School for Bad Boys, where the other boys had been making an _effort_ to cuss as much as possible to seem like the most "evil." But, now, like then, it didn't seem exciting or rebellious to Lloyd, only vulgar and distasteful; the only two times he'd cussed in his entire life had left his mouth feeling dirty, and he had no desire to further explore the less savory side of the dictionary.

The thing was, Morro had had the same problem when he first became human again. He seemed to cuss constantly- and _casually_ , like he didn't even realize that what he was saying was startling to the other occupants of the room- and it wasn't until Wu had taken to whacking him on the back of the head every time he let one slip that he'd had the habit beaten out of him.

But, now. Now, he'd relapsed as if he'd never stopped, cussing right along with the others and making Lloyd want to cover his ears.

The other thing was they were _crude_. The kinds of jokes they made passed through indecent right into _obscene_. And, though one might think the only girl in the car would be made uncomfortable by these types of jokes, Bansha was the worst of all of them. They were enough to make Lloyd blush, causing him to be grateful that Morro had left him the window seat so he could at least turn his face away and try to hide the fact that he was even more naïve than he thought.

And, once again, although Morro had quickly learned that making those kinds of jokes would earn him a whack on the head from Wu (or a slap from Nya) and so stopped making them back in Ninjago, here, he hadn't lost a beat, keeping up with the best of them.

It made Lloyd feel… weird. Uncomfortable, sure, but not just that. Morro seemed so… _natural_ here. Like he was at _home_ here, when the Airjitzu Temple- when the ninja and Wu- were supposed to be his home. Not that Morro had been lying or being disingenuous, but like he had only ever revealed the part of himself he wanted them to see, and _now, here,_ with _them_ , he could finally let go of all his inhibitions.

"What about Ninjago?" The Soul Archer suddenly asked, making Lloyd look up when he had been trying to block out the conversation. "You haven't told us about your escapades as a newly revived human, Morro. Surely, you must have some captivating stories to tell."

Morro looked down, flicking some lint off his knee. "Eh, it kinda sucks. They recognized me as Morro, psychopathic ghost general, and now everyone hates my guts. I can't even leave the house."

"Man," Wrayth whistled low. "That _does_ suck."

"Why do you even bother with being a ninja?" Bansha asked, crossing her arms. "I mean, what did those people ever do for you?"

Lloyd glanced at Morro, curious as to what his answer would be.

"Because, I'm trying to be _good_ now," he replied, leaning forward over the back of the front seat and shooting a pointed look at Bansha as if to say, _"And so are you."_ She rolled her eyes. Leaning back, he continued wistfully, "And, I was always meant to be a ninja. Besides, I've got the other ninja too."

He said this with a bashful glance at Lloyd, who smiled. He didn't know what he was expecting Morro's answer to be, but he was glad that that was it.

"But, if you can't even leave the _house_ ," Bansha insisted. "I mean, no amount of friends are going to help if you have to be a miserable hermit all your life."

"You know," the Soul Archer led in, fingering the bow in his lap. "You don't _have_ to go back. Both Wrayth and I have the ability to turn you back into a ghost."

Wrayth gasped excitedly and half turned to meet Morro's eyes. Lloyd wanted to snap at him to watch where he was going, but he managed to bite his tongue since he wanted to hear Morro reject their offer. Because, he _had_ to reject their offer… right?

"It would be just like old times!" Wrayth exclaimed. "The five of us against the world! And, you'd be in charge, of course."

Lloyd bit his lip. That _was_ something he knew Morro missed: being able to call the shots. Not to mention the lawlessness, the _freedom_ , that this handful of ghosts wore like cologne; none of the rigidity or expected "uprightness" that came with the life of a ninja. Heck, Morro was practically a _celebrity_ here! Why wouldn't he want to stay?

 _Because he has us_ , Lloyd argued with himself. _He loves us. He loves Wu. He wouldn't leave us_.

Meanwhile, Ghoultar was already clapping with anticipation. "Yes! Morro is coming back! Morro is coming back!"

"Relax, Ghoultar, he hasn't said yes yet," Wrayth stayed facing forward this time, but did look at Morro in the reflection of the rearview mirror. "What do you say, Morro?"

Lloyd and every other occupant in the car waited.

And, Morro _hesitated_.

It didn't matter that half a second later he glanced at Lloyd and said, "Sorry, guys. We had our fun, but I'm a ninja now."

Because, he had _hesitated_. Which means he had _thought_ about it. Which means for the first half of that second, he had actually _considered_ giving up his second chance at life to go gallivanting across the Departed Realm with these rowdy, rude, cringe-inducing ghosts.

The car was quiet for a moment, the only sound the monster truck's huge wheels eating up the sandy terrain beneath it.

Finally, Morro broke the silence. "Besides, who'd want to wake up every morning to _your_ ugly mugs?"

And, just like that, the awkwardness was broken. The ghosts were guffawing at the insult as if they'd never heard a joke before, and it was exactly like it was before.

Except Lloyd was staring determinedly out the window. He could feel Morro's eyes on him more than once, but the hesitation was sitting heavily between them and it was impossible to overlook.

* * *

 **Oh noooo! Morro's falling into old habits, and Lloyd's feeling left out! ;-; Not quite the dream team anymore! ;-;**

 **Let me know what you guys think of Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer being in the story now! :D (This is my first time writing all of them, so let me know if I did them justice :D)**

 **Next chapter: we'll continue with this Lloyd/Morro/ghosty story line!**

 **Sooo, I hope to post the Christmas chapter of Getting to Know You pretty quick here (*maybe* tonight...?) I'm also still getting around to replying to everyone's reviews and PMs (slowly but surely =_=) so just bear with me!**

 **Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you all have a WONDERFUL whatever-winter-holiday-you-celebrate-if-any! :D**


	18. Stay

**Another early update! :D We'll see how Lloyd's getting along with all the ghosties ;D**

 **Special thanks to: Katla1, TheKittenQueen, KyraPlays, Fxreflies, agent. pebble, WindNinja333, Inimidesert, JBomb217, Peanut2196, GameCubeGirl1, Galactic D0nuts, MightyShipper, Jadestorm, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, RandomDragon2.0, and RickRiordan1! Thank you all sooooo much for all your lovely compliments and support! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **JBomb217: Believe me, me too! Definitely not my kind of crowd XD Morro probably needs a smack! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **MightyShipper: Aw, I'm sorry my chapters make you cry! XD Thank you so much! :D**

 **Jadestorm: I'm glad you liked the ghost general reunion, because it was SO fun to write! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: I definitely can relate to being the odd one out XD Ooh, I LOVE the comparison you drew with Lloyd feeling similar to how Morro did (does?) when he joined the ninja! And, yeah, it's a hard situation to be in, and a big decision! YES, definitely! One of the hardest parts about redemption, is sticking with it and not giving up! :D And, I'm SO glad you like how I wrote the ghost generals! :D Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Ooh, Gem would definitely not be happy! XD Yay! Honestly, I was a little nervous about writing Morro's friends, so I'm glad you thought they were accurate! :D That's awesome that you're on break now! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Haha! I'm glad you enjoyed Morro comparing Lloyd to a butterfly XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, _ow_!"

"Just stand it eight more seconds! Eight more seconds and then you'll beat Bansha!"

" _Owiiiiiieeeee_! Uncle, uncle, uncle!"

" _Ugh_."

"And, the queen retains her title. Better luck next time, boys."

Lloyd sat on the opposite side of the campfire, staring at his rather grotesque assortment of foreign fruits and vegetables. Night had fallen, and they had finally reached the jungle, in which Gem's castle lay. Although the ghosts didn't need to rest, they had to break for camp so Lloyd and Morro could sleep and finally _eat_ from the bounty of the jungle flora. It reminded Lloyd so much of the first time he and his team had travelled into the Departed Realm to retrieve Cole's Soul Stone that Lloyd physically _ached_ for his family. He wondered if they were okay, if they knew that he would do absolutely anything in his power to free them from captivity, if they knew how grateful he was or how much he missed them. Thinking like that would drive him crazy, though.

Besides, that's where the similarities ended.

No matter how cheesy it had been, the ninja had talked about their feelings when they were here, listening to each other and being _there_ for each other, and Lloyd longed for that feeling of camaraderie now.

Instead, Wrayth, Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer were taking turns burning themselves with a blade they heated up in the fire to see who could stand the pain the longest. Morro couldn't directly participate, seeing as his burns would be permanent or at least long-lasting, whereas the ghosts' would heal almost instantly, but he was more than happy to place bets on who he thought had the highest pain tolerance and cheer and boo as he saw fit. He even held the blade against Wrayth's back when the ghost asked him to, thinking it would be harder for him to chicken out that way.

Honestly, Lloyd didn't know how he could stand it. He supposed it was a game they had played before, but the screams of agony and crazed laughter were enough to make anybody lose their appetite, even though Lloyd literally hadn't eaten in a month.

It was the Soul Archer's turn, but, not a very expressive person in the first place, he was only gritting his teeth as he tried to beat Bansha's record. Bansha, apparently only thrilled by screams of pain like Ghoultar's, lazily turned her head to peer at the jungle.

"So, we have to walk from here?" She asked, leaning back on her palms.

The Soul Archer threw the blade off his arm, gasping heavily for breath.

"Ooh, four seconds longer and you would've had her," Morro informed him apologetically and condescendingly. Bansha laughed, and the Soul Archer rolled his eyes. In response to her question, Morro said, "Yeah. The truck won't roll through that underbrush. Not to mention it's too wide."

"Are you calling my truck fat?" Wrayth demanded, planting both fists on his hip. After the short burst of laughter, he turned toward the monster truck with a sigh. "I guess we don't need it anymore. It's been fun, old girl."

And, with that, Wrayth's ghostly magic faded from the truck. Before their eyes, it shrunk and flattened and faded until it had returned to its original black convertible form.

They stared at it for a moment, as if mourning the beloved truck.

"It seems wrong to leave it like that," the Soul Archer commented.

Bansha glanced at the other ghost, a little smirk forming on her lips. "True. Very true."

Lloyd furrowed his brow. The five of them all seemed to be sharing some secret little smile with each other, but he had no idea what they had-

With a hardy battle cry, Ghoultar charged forward, slamming both fists into the hood of the car and leaving two huge and _deep_ dents there.

After that, all hell broke loose.

To say Lloyd was horrified was definitely an understatement. Ghoultar continued mercilessly beating the car with his fists while Bansha released her famous shriek, causing Lloyd to cover his ears and all the windows and mirrors in the car to shatter. Wrayth and Morro both took up a blade. The former sticking it into the leather seats of the car and drawing it down the length of the seat, leaving big, long streaks in what had been pristine leather, while the latter slashed the tires.

The real horrific part was when the Soul Archer stuck the head of one of his arrows into the campfire, then drew the flaming arrow back in his bow and sent it arcing through the air. The projectile stuck firmly in the car, which immediately caught fire. Wrayth, Morro, and Ghoultar took cover not a moment too soon; the car contentedly burned for only a handful of seconds before it exploded. Lloyd could feel the heat sear his face from here.

And, the five of them were laughing and shoving each other and daring the others to get inside the vehicle while it was burning. They were like savages dancing around the fire of a ritual sacrifice, the flames casting a red, hellish glow on their faces and a fevered spark in their eyes. It was destruction for the sake of destruction, and while he would have expected this from the others, he thought that Morro wouldn't have condoned this, that Morro had grown out of the childish instinct to break a new toy or knock over a city of blocks.

But, now, looking at him cheering with the others, even with his solid human skin and distinctly alive appearance, he looked exactly like one of them. It had taken almost nothing for him to revert back to old habits, and Lloyd was wondering why he hadn't been more concerned about having a ticking time bomb on his team before.

He was looking more and more like the Morro that had possessed him rather than the one that had hugged him while he cried, and Lloyd was wondering if he should be afraid.

The five of them ambled back toward the fire, apparently bored of the still burning car.

Morro plopped down beside Lloyd on the ground, still chuckling.

Lloyd tensed up.

"How're you feeling?" Morro asked, nudging him. Then, noticing Lloyd's expression, he cocked his head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lloyd replied, though his eyes trailed to the blazing inferno just over Morro's shoulder.

Morro turned to look at it as well. "What, that? That was just a little bit of fun." He rolled his eyes. "I know, I know, vandalism isn't really on the ninja's list of approved hobbies."

Lloyd frowned, stabbing his unidentifiable fruit (vegetable?) "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Morro huffed. "Does it really bother you that much? Look, the Departed Realm is where you're supposed to let loose. I promise I'll go right back to your precious little lookout when we get back." He fixed Lloyd with a glare. "Or, are you afraid I'm about to _explode_?"

Lloyd straightened, shocked that Morro's question echoed his thoughts so exactly. "What do you-"

"I heard you, okay?" Morro snapped. "In the mindscape. You called me a _ticking time bomb_."

Lloyd froze. No matter what, he had never wanted the wind master to hear those words. "Morro-"

"I mean, I don't know what else to do, Lloyd. You say you forgive me, then you go and think I'm still evil and leading you into a trap. You invite me into your family, and then you go and think I'm going to turn on you at any second and- what was it…? Oh yeah- go on my _second reign of terror_. You take me on a mission and then you make me _lookout_ ," Morro listed on his fingers. "Face it. You just don't trust me."

Lloyd, mildly irritated he was being attacked like this for something that he had never intended Morro to hear, snapped back. "I'm _trying_ , okay? I'm trying to trust you, but when something happens, you clam up and storm off and you never let anybody _help_ you and then you come here and _blow up cars_ like a _crazy_ person-"

"Alright, that's enough," Bansha interrupted, crossing her arms as she stood over Lloyd. The Green Ninja had forgotten the others were there, and now they were gathered around the pair, all glaring at him.

Lloyd felt his heart start beating twice as fast.

"I can handle it, Bansha," Morro grumbled, standing up as well. Lloyd stood up then too, not wanting to be the only one sitting now. "Just mind your own business, alright?"

"He messes with you, it becomes our business," Wrayth asserted.

"Guys-"

"The Green Ninja has been tense this whole car trip," the Soul Archer pointed out. "I think he just needs help relaxing. Don't you, Wrayth?"

" _Guys_ ," Morro repeated more forcefully, and Lloyd, despite how angry he was with Morro at the moment, was grateful he was not the only one who had sensed the threatening tone. "It's _fine_. Just leave him alone."

Wrayth, who was standing directly in front of the Green Ninja, grinned.

Lloyd felt the exact moment Wrayth entered his body.

The feeling of drowning, suffocating, _dying_ \- he felt like he was dying- consumed him, made him gasp for breath, struggle for control, struggle to _be_ \- just _be_ \- and not disappear-

But, Wrayth was eating him alive, forcing Lloyd out of every inch of his body, pushing his mind away, away, _away_ , he was being pushed _away_ , drowning in the swirling currents of _otherness_ -

And, worse was the _laughter_. Everywhere, Ghoultar, Bansha, the Soul Archer- Wrayth in his ear, in his _mind_ \- were all laughing at him, entertained by his panic and fear, fear, _fear_ , like he was the car being burned _alive_ -

Suddenly, Morro. Morro in front of him. Morro wasn't laughing. Morro was grasping the front of his gi and shaking him and saying something and Lloyd struggled to hear over the laughter…

"-not _funny_ , Wrayth," Morro was yelling, and he looked almost as scared as Lloyd felt. "Get _out_ of him, _right now_."

"C'mon, Morro," Wrayth drawled with a voice that wasn't Lloyd's even though it was his mouth that moved. "It's just a little fun-"

"Wrayth, I _swear_. Burning you with that knife will seem like nothing after what I'll do to you if you don't get out of him _right. Now._ "

"Alright, alright, sheesh," Wrayth said with an eye roll. "I'm going, I'm going. It was just a little joke."

Wrayth stepped out of Lloyd.

Leaving Lloyd shaking so bad he couldn't see straight and trying desperately not to cry because the ghosts were still watching and laughing at him. He clenched his fists, trying to reassure himself _of_ himself.

He was okay.

He was okay.

And, though Morro had saved him, no doubt he was going to laugh it off too, saying something like _"serves you_ -"

Morro's fist collided with Wrayth's face.

Lloyd could hear the _crunch_ from here as he looked on with wide eyes.

The laughter stopped.

Wrayth went down like a felled tree, if only because the punch was wholly unexpected. He sat up immediately after, cradling his cheek and looking at Morro like he'd just been punched by a trusted adult.

But, Morro didn't apologize. In fact, he didn't even _acknowledge_ Wrayth further.

He turned back to Lloyd, grasping both of his shoulders.

"Are you okay, Lloyd? Please tell me you're okay," Morro pleaded. And, Morro _never_ pleaded. "I'll beat the crap out of him if you're not okay."

Lloyd could only stare.

" _I'll beat the crap out of him if you're not okay."_

And, just when Morro was going to take Lloyd's shocked silence for confirmation that he was not, in fact, okay, Lloyd whispered, "I'm okay."

Because, though he would have enjoyed watching Morro mercilessly pummel Wrayth, he didn't want to start a fight. Right now, actually, he just wanted to _sleep_.

He took a step away from the fire, away from the other ghosts and _Wrayth_ -

And, staggered, almost falling-

Morro caught him.

"C'mon," Morro said quietly, catching onto the fact that Lloyd was trying to leave. He wrapped his arm around Lloyd's waist and Lloyd's arm around his shoulders to help him walk. "Let's go."

The four ghosts were silent as they watched the two humans stumble out of the circle of light the fire provided. Lloyd was silent as Morro led him over to one of the rocky outcroppings that dotted the desert landscape, lowering the Green Ninja to the ground so he could lean against it.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing Morro said after they got there.

Once again, Lloyd stared in shocked silence. If Morro never pleaded, he apologized even less.

"It wasn't your fault," Lloyd said quietly.

"I should have known what he was going to do. I should have stopped him before he did it." Morro shook his head. "I mean- _ugh_. I swear, Lloyd, if you want me to, I'll beat the crap out of all of them."

The ghosts Morro had been so excited to reunite with.

The ghosts that Morro had seemed at home with.

The ghosts that had seemed more like Morro's brothers than the ninja had.

He was going to turn on them, beat them, _betray_ them.

For Lloyd.

Who he just fought with.

Who had called him a ticking time bomb.

Who had taken the Green Ninja from him.

For Lloyd.

For his brother.

Lloyd didn't know how to describe it. It was like something in his head, heart, _core_ shifted, like a gear that had been misaligned for years was suddenly twisted and pushed into place. Like he was finally starting to _believe_ something he had known for a long time.

Morro wouldn't hurt him.

Morro would _protect_ him.

Morro sighed, standing up. "Just try to get some sleep. I'll go talk some sense into them-"

As Morro turned away, suddenly Lloyd only saw himself here, alone in the dark, and he couldn't help but imagine Wrayth- or Ghoultar, or the Soul Archer, or even Bansha- sneaking up on his defenseless sleeping body and possessing him for another laugh if Morro wasn't here to stop them.

So, almost without thinking, Lloyd reached up and grabbed Morro's hand, yanking him to a stop.

"Stay," Lloyd said quietly, feeling embarrassed and ashamed that the possession that had been less than a minute long had freaked him out so much. But, no matter what, he knew he couldn't stay here alone. "Please."

Morro blinked down at him. "Are you sure you want me here?"

Lloyd understood his confusion. He had just been _possessed_ \- something that could only bring forth all the fear and negative emotions he associated with _Morro_ \- and so it made sense he probably wouldn't want Morro around while wanting to feel safe.

But, that was exactly the thing. For maybe the first time since he had met Morro, Lloyd felt truly and completely _safe_ in his presence.

"Yes."

Morro, as if sensing something sincere in his face or voice, nodded slowly. He sat down next to Lloyd on the ground.

They sat in silence for a while, and though the rocky hill he was leaning against was probably _the_ most uncomfortable thing in the world, Lloyd felt himself drifting off to sleep, as exhausted as he was by even a brief possession.

"I'm really sorry, Lloyd."

And, for some reason, Lloyd laughed.

"You're a butterfly," he told Morro confidently. "You pretend to be a moth, but you're a butterfly just like me."

There was a moment of silence, and Lloyd's eyes were growing heavier, his mind already mostly in dreamland…

"Yeah." He felt a hand run through his hair, followed by a chuckle. "I guess I am."

* * *

 **So, a bit of a shortie, but there was a lot in this chapter! Next chapter, we check back in with the ninja on their second night working at the Bone Keeper's casino ;D**

 **Thank you all for reading! :D**


	19. I'm Like Earth

**I'm so sorry for the late update! Please forgive me ^-^; I'm so happy everyone seemed to like the last chapter so much! We'll check in with the other ninja this chapter ;D**

 **Special thanks to: Katla1, KyraPlays, WindNinja333, thefiresensei, Revlis Charm, GalacticD0nuts, GameCubeGirl1, Plumcicle, silverTimeTwin, MightyShipper, dragonpearlninja, JBomb217, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, Angel Star Ninja, TheKittenQueen, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, RandomDragon2.0, and SpiritDragon for reviewing! They mean the world to me! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Aw, that makes me so happy! :3 I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a new year too! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Morro is SUCH a butterfly XD And, at least Lloyd sees that now and (hopefully) gets past his mental block :3 Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yep, the ghost gang's definition of fun is... veeery different from the ninja's -_-; Oh my gosh, your review made me sooo incredibly happy! I was really trying to convey the weight of the realization that Lloyd came to and how it's really changed a lot for him, so I am SO glad that came through for you! :D Morro will definitely do anything to protect his brothers ;D Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Exactly! Wrayth needed a good punch in the face! XD But, at least the experience has helped Lloyd come to a realization :3 Ah, yes, we'll see about the other ghosts ;D And, I'm so glad you thought the ghost gang was in character! Thank you so so so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Angel Star Ninja: WHAT?! Morro has... FEELINGS?! XD Aw, I am so SO glad that you're excited for my stories even after losing interest in the fandom! That really means a lot to me :3 Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Right?! I really tried to capture that "odd one out" feeling that I think everybody's experienced at one point or another :/ And, of course Lloyd still doesn't like fighting :3 Your favorite chapter?! That makes me SOOOO happy! ^-^ Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Zane sat gingerly on the edge of his cot, watching the rest of his siblings prepare themselves for another long night of working ahead of them. Nya had already been fetched by her severe-looking forewoman. Kai was pacing angrily up and down the aisle in between the two rows of cots. Jay kept casting furtive glances at Cole, who was busy trying to inspect his various contusions in the reflective metal of the bed frame.

He wanted to tell them.

He wanted to tell them how the scientists had pried him open, how they had inspected every component of himself until there was no inch of him that hadn't been ripped out and shoved back in, until there was no part of himself that didn't feel violated. Even sitting here, now, he felt dirty and _used_ , and it would have been a relief to simply be able to _express_ that to someone else.

To describe how he had woken up during the procedure last time. Some wires had gotten crossed, and somehow he had been brought back online… only to see his innards spilled out across the table. How he had begged them to put him back together how he was supposed to go, how he had struggled against the belts restraining his hands and feet, how the scientists had scrambled to shut him down again and Zane was so _afraid_ -

He opened his mouth to say something to the others.

But, nothing came out.

Kai was spirited away to the Bone Keeper's office, then Cole to his bouncer duties. Jay was the only one left now, and still, he couldn't speak.

"Zane?" He asked, noticing the nindroid's mouth open as if he wanted to talk. Zane could only imagine the lost, desperate expression on his face. "Everything alright? Is there something you want to talk about it?"

He wanted to tell them. Just _say_ it, and then maybe find some release.

But, he couldn't. The others were hurting in ways all their own: Kai and Nya were barely on speaking terms, and who knew if Jay and Cole could make up this time, not to mention the fact that Cole had to spend his entire night in danger of physical harm.

Zane couldn't burden them with his own issues. Although keeping it inside was killing him, saying it out loud would kill them, and he couldn't do that to them. He'd let the daggers in his chest slice him to ribbons before he let them out to harm his siblings.

Besides, he was a nindroid. He should be able to handle more and so he would.

Zane offered a smile, even as Anne poked her head into the room over Jay's shoulders and his heart constricted with a primal sort of fear that he had experienced only a handful of times in his life.

"Nothing, brother," he reassured cheerfully, pushing himself to his feet even as he trembled. "I hope your night is pleasant. Or, as pleasant as it can be under the circumstances."

Jay blew the air out of his cheeks. "You and me both, buddy."

* * *

Cole kept his head down as he trudged into the bouncers' break room.

 _Don't draw attention to yourself_ , he reminded himself as he headed toward Gouge to get his assignment for the night. _Get in and get out. You can make it. You're almost home free._

A huge wall of ghostly flesh appeared directly in front of Cole, as impassable as any brick wall.

"And, just where do you think you're going, ninja?" Hammer demanded, crossing the humongous logs of muscle he called arms.

"Look, you guys had your fun yesterday," Cole said without raising his head. Though he would have _loved_ to punch the guy's lights out (over and over again, in fact), he physically could not at the moment. So, even though it hurt his pride and he would have despaired at the prospect of any of the guys seeing him act so meek, he knew it was better to play the role of submissive victim rather than make a bunch of threats he couldn't back up.

"I don't want any trouble," he reassured. "So, just-"

Hammer grabbed the front of Cole's gi in one meaty fist, lifting the earth ninja clear off the ground so they were nearly eye level.

"You don't want any trouble?" Hammer chuckled. "Ninja, you haven't _seen_ trouble yet."

Cole clenched his fists, wishing he could feel his super strength, wishing he could feel as solid and immovable as the earth itself.

Instead, he only felt very scared.

"Please," Cole said, hating the word even as it came out of his mouth, hating the Bone Keeper for reducing him to begging. "I don't-"

Cole cut himself off when he felt the tip of blade touch the bottom of his chin, forcing his head up. A bead of blood bubbled out of the cut, dripping down his throat.

Hammer laughed. "And, you don't know what begging is. Not yet, at least."

Turning to some of his cohorts that had joined him in assaulting Cole yesterday, he jerked his head toward the door.

"C'mon, boys," he beckoned, lowering Cole to the ground only so he could lock his rock hard fist around Cole's shoulder and force him to walk at blade point. "We're going to have some fun with our new toy."

Cole swallowed.

 _I'm like earth_ , Cole told himself as the tip of the knife dug into his back. _After a fire, it regrows. After an earthquake, it's still. No matter what happens to the earth, it heals. It survives, and I will too._

Cole repeated this like a mantra in his head as Hammer and his cronies marched him toward an uncertain fate.

 _It survives, and I will too.  
_

* * *

Kai sat on the floor of the Bone Keeper's office in one of the back corners behind his desk, sharpening pencil after stupid pencil. (He was pretty sure the Bone Keeper didn't even _use_ pencils, so having so many sharpened ones on hand was useless.) But, the Bone Keeper had a client coming into the office, so Kai likened the task to a parent telling their child "go play with your toys while the grown ups talk."

He heard the door open and close as the Bone Keeper's next victim entered the room, most likely with no idea what they were getting themselves into. Kai didn't bother looking up; he didn't want to give a face to the latest sucker, and he tried valiantly to block out the Bone Keeper's usual shtick, where he already knows her name and presumes correctly why she's here with his fake polite mannerisms.

But, then the Bone Keeper did something out of the ordinary.

He took off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of the chair.

This action was so alarming that Kai looked up from the pencil sharpener. The Bone Keeper was _always_ proper, immaculately dressed in his trademark pinstripe suit without a single hair out of place.

But, when Kai's eyes landed on the client, he saw why.

She was absolutely gorgeous. Long dark hair, ruby red lips, striking blue eyes. The Bone Keeper was already rolling up his shirt sleeves, his ever-present grin taking on a decidedly predatory quality as he chose to lean against his desk rather than sit behind it.

Kai curled his lip, shoving the pencil into the sharpener with much more force than was necessary. He already had enough reasons to hate the guy, and then he goes and does something like _this_.

Once again, Kai tried to block out the conversation, now grateful for the electric grinding of the pencil sharpener that aided him in this goal.

But, then.

Then, Kai remembered something.

The drawstring pouch with their Soul Stones inside.

It was in the Bone Keeper's suit jacket pocket.

The suit jacket that was sitting on the back of the chair, behind the Bone Keeper.

It was risky. The Bone Keeper could stop him with as much as one word- that is, until Kai got a hold of that pouch. The second he did, he was his own master again, and he and all the others wouldn't have spend one more second in this miserable place.

The others might have thought about it more, but now that Kai had seen the opportunity, he couldn't unsee it. And, he could not let it pass him by.

Carefully, he scooted closer to the Bone Keeper's desk chair, making sure to keep sharpening pencils at the same rate he had been so as to not arouse suspicion. The woman client glanced at him, but he hoped the Bone Keeper was too distracted by her appearance to give her wandering gaze much thought.

Now, Kai was more or less behind the desk.

With his left hand, he kept the pencil lodged firmly in the pencil sharpener, hoping the mechanical whirring would cover up the sounds of his movement. He leaned over, reaching out his right hand. A little closer… A little closer… His fingers brushed the lapel-

" _Stop_."

Kai froze. He wanted to lunge forward and snatch the pouch from the pocket… but he physically couldn't move. So close. He had been _so close_ …

"Stand. Up."

The red ninja pushed himself to his feet. Although the Bone Keeper could make him do that much, Kai made sure the half-lidded gaze on his face was distinctly unapologetic.

The Bone Keeper slowly and deliberately walked around his desk to join Kai on the other side while the female ghost sitting in the armchair watched with concern clear in her eyes. The Bone Keeper adjusted his shirt sleeves so they stretched to his wrists once again, and then pulled his suit jacket back on, smoothing it down so it rested properly on his frame once again. He patted the front of it where the pouch rested in the pocket, as if assuring himself it was still there.

Then, he slapped Kai.

The red ninja staggered at the impact, mostly out of surprise, though the pain stinging his cheek was potent enough. The woman gasped, covering her mouth.

"I thought I made myself very clear," the Bone Keeper ground out, his shrewd eyes narrowing as Kai straightened with a grimace. "I own you. Acceptance, cooperation, and _respect_ are the only things that will help you here."

"I'd die before I respect a snake like you."

 _Crack_. Another slap across the face.

"Please, you must excuse my assistant," the Bone Keeper said cordially to the customer still waiting in her seat while Kai glared at one of the bookshelves against the wall as his cheek burned. "He is a petulant little thing. We may continue our business-"

"No," the woman shook her head back and forth vehemently. "No, I… I think this was a mistake. I need to go." She stood up suddenly, offering a nod in the Bone Keeper's direction as she hurried toward the office door. "I just… need to go."

And, with that, she was gone.

The Bone Keeper followed her path to the door in somewhat of a daze, as if hoping to convince her to come back even though she was long gone. Kai found himself shifting his weight uncomfortably. Although he wasn't slapping Kai or saying anything at all, the red ninja could tell the Bone Keeper was more furious than he had been only a moment ago. Disrespect was one thing, but causing the Bone Keeper to miss out on a business deal was a much more serious transgression altogether.

When he reached the still open door, he poked his head out and called, "Marjorie?"

A moment later, the same motherly ghost from that morning that had led Kai to his room reappeared.

"Please take Kai Downstairs."

Marjorie visibly paled. Kai, despite all his bravado, felt sweat start to prickle on his palms. Nonetheless, she nodded.

"For how long?"

"Until I say so," the Bone Keeper replied ominously, walking back over to his desk. He sat in his desk chair without so much as a glance at Kai, beginning to shuffle through his papers again as if nothing had happened.

"C'mon," Marjorie said softly, beckoning Kai forward. The fire master, with one last wary look at the Bone Keeper, forced himself to walk forward, trying to exude a fearlessness he didn't feel.

Kai was met with the familiar catcalls and jeers from the less than savory customers in the casino, but despite the roar of noise around him, it still felt like a funeral march. Or like he was heading toward his own execution.

Then, he saw Nya.

She was wearing that skimpy waitressing outfit, the sight alone which was enough to make Kai's blood boil. She was standing there with a half full tray in her hands, ignoring the pestering of the patrons as she watched Kai curiously, her eyes asking a question as well as her mouth could.

Their eyes met for only a second, but he knew Nya knew him well enough to be able to tell that something was definitely _wrong_.

And, then he passed her, gone just like that. Marjorie led him to the very back of the casino, so far back that he didn't think the building even stretched that far. They came upon a huge, metal door, partially rusted so Kai didn't even think it would open anymore.

Unfortunately, though, Marjorie's key successfully moved the bolt, and she was able to pull the door open with an ancient sounding groan.

Immediately, Kai heard the screams.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" A woman screeched desperately. "Forgive me, forgive me, _please forgive me_ …"

Kai couldn't mask his horrified expression as he looked at Marjorie.

She offered him a sympathetic pat on the arm before nodding at the stairwell leading down into blackness. "After you."

* * *

Jay groaned in disgust as he- _gratefully_ \- pulled the door of the hotel room closed behind him. He had been called to change the lightbulb in one of the hotel rooms, which were located on the second floor. What he _hadn't_ known was that the hotel room would be occupied- _or_ that the couple wouldn't even pause in their make out session while he did his job.

Glad to finally be finished with _that_ , Jay rounded the corner-

And jumped back so he was out of sight.

It had been a long time since he had been bullied, but he could still recognize the scene instantly. A group of huge men all gathered around a helpless victim they had backed up against a wall. Jay tried to squint through the semi-transparent bodies of the ghosts to see what poor soul they were picking on…

The most gigantic one shifted slightly, and Jay saw-

"C'mon," the ghost taunted. "I want you to cry. I want you to _beg_ , ninja. C'mon, _beg_."

With that, he aimed a powerful kick that connected soundly with Cole's stomach.

The black ninja was on all fours already, and the kick sent him to wheezing and coughing-

Jay gaped in horror when he saw Cole cough blood onto the cream colored carpet.

His brother glared up at the bully, the bottom half of his face nearly completely crimson with the drying blood of a nosebleed. The look clearly said that he wasn't going to cry or beg, but Jay knew Cole well enough to see the fear swimming just beneath the surface.

Cole was in danger.

Cole was in _danger_.

And, Jay-

Froze.

Because he didn't have his elemental powers. He didn't have his martial arts. He didn't have his Spinjitzu. There wasn't a single thing he could do for Cole if he tried to help him- and rushing into the center of that group only brought back all the memories of Neil and Ronnie and Alex and Henry crowding around him, making fun of him when he cried, pounding on him until he was sure he would never move again. He couldn't experience that again. Not again.

Besides, Cole had basically disowned him as a brother. Why _should_ Jay even attempt to save him?

Jay's feet already knew the answer as they carried him toward the group of bullies.

Because, Cole would.

No matter how angry they were with each other, no matter what had happened between them, no matter if the entire world was bearing down on Jay, Cole would rush out on the front lines for him. Because he was Cole and Cole took care of people, had taken care of people his whole life, had taken care of _Jay_ as long as they had known each other, even when he didn't know it.

And, though it had taken travelling through the mindscape, a punch from Cole, and becoming the Bone Keeper's slaves to make him open up his eyes, Jay realized that sometimes Cole needed someone to take care of him too.

"Stop it!"

The thugs lackadaisically glanced over their shoulders at the puny Jay, obviously not threatened by his presence in the slightest.

Cole, meanwhile, half sat up. His eyes widened when they landed on Jay, the color draining from his face.

"Get out of here, Jay," he hissed. "This doesn't concern you."

"Yeah, Jay," the biggest ghost repeated mockingly. "This doesn't concern you."

Instead of fleeing, as was his natural instinct, Jay forced his way into the center of the circle, standing protectively between the kneeling Cole and the leader of the bullies.

"Cole is my brother, so when you hurt him, it _does_ concern me."

Jay caught Cole peering up at him in awe out of the corner of his eye (and Jay himself was pretty shocked at how confidently his voice came out), but the thugs only laughed. And, Jay could see how the situation might be thought of as funny: this skinny runt protecting his much bigger, more muscular brother from even bigger and even _more_ muscular bullies, but Jay stood his ground.

Suddenly, the bully used one big meaty hand to swat Jay out of the way like a bug and used the other to grab Cole by the back of his gi and haul him to his feet.

"We'll deal with you later," the ghost rumbled ominously. "First, I want to finish what I started."

Jay almost threw himself in front of Cole once again- but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the knife in the thug's hand.

Cole's eyes were also fixated on the blade. He swallowed.

"So, what's it going to be, ninja?"

Cole's brown eyes flicked to Jay's blue ones. And, in that one moment, it was like nothing at all had happened between them, like they were best friends in the midst of a dire situation like they always were again.

Cole looked up at the ghost pleadingly. "Just don't hurt Jay."

The bully clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "That's not what I asked for."

Then the knife was gliding toward Cole's stomach, the blade glinting dangerously.

Suddenly, Jay saw Cole on top of that pole, felt the Jade Blade's handle _thunk_ into his hand, heard him say, "She's yours, Jay." He saw himself pushing Cole off that ledge, heard Cole laugh and say "I _know_ you didn't push me on purpose," as if it were obvious. He saw Cole, sitting on the steps of a school and waiting for a mom that was too drunk to care, being too selfless to blame her, leaving himself so desperate for someone to take care of him in the same way he took care of everyone else.

Jay saw his brother about to get hurt. So, he did the only thing he could think of.

He pushed Cole out of the way.

Pain blazed through his midsection like an inferno as the blade sank into his stomach, blinding him, dulling every other sense until all he could feel was _pain, pain, pain, pain_ -

He was falling- and then he wasn't-

Hands. Big hands. Strong hands. Safe hands were holding him up, pulling him against a broad, warm chest as they sank to the ground together…

"The Bone Keeper's going to kill you!"

"I didn't mean- I was only trying to _scare_ him, I wasn't going to…"

Finally, a voice he recognized. A voice that meant everything was okay. A voice that meant he was _safe_.

"Go get help!" Cole shouted. "Unless you want to get in trouble for killing one of the Bone Keeper's prized possessions! Go!"

Suddenly, Jay could see again. Cole was leaning over him. Cole was talking to him. Jay struggled to listen through the pounding in his ears, through the _pain_ , he was in so much _pain_ …

"-with me, Jay," Cole was saying. "C'mon, Jay, stay with me now."

"Sorry," he croaked, and agony ripped through his stomach all over again. "Sor-"

"For once in your life, stop talking, Jay," Cole begged. "I'll never forgive you if you die. You hear me? You better live, Jay. Jay. _Jay_!"

But, it was too late. Blackness fell over Jay's vision like a curtain, and he only hoped Cole could find it in his heart to forgive him one last time.

* * *

 **Oh NO! Zane is being tortured, Kai's in some mysterious chamber, Jay's been STABBED! Things are not looking good for our ninja... ;-;**

 **Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ;D**

 **Next chapter: we'll delve a little bit more into this ninja story line before checking back in with the ghosties :D**

 **(I may try to do an extra update on Wednesday this week, but no promises ;D)**


	20. The Weeping Woman

**Wow, it's been a while since I posted on a Wednesday, hasn't it? XD I thought it was only fair, considering this chapter is pretty short and more or less the second part of the previous chapter. I hope you guys like it! And, the next update will still be on Saturday! ;D**

 **Special thanks to: Plumcicle, Ebony umbreon, Wolfjem, KyraPlays, PrairieSkies, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, WindNinja333, RandomDragon2.0, GameCubeGirl1, Inimidesert, Revlis Charm, Fxreflies, MightyShipper, Katla1, Jadestorm, Guest, JBomb217, TheYellowNinja, SpiritDragon, ColeLoverGirl, Angel, Dinofaure, and Rick Riordan1 for reviewing! Thank you soooo much, guys! I love you all! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Aw! I'm sorry I made you cry, but I'm also glad that my story could do that to you! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Jadestorm: Haha, I was definitely debating making those the genre of this story, but I thought drama was probably more fitting XD We'll see about Jay and Cole... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: Don't worry, we'll get back to Jay and Cole eventually! ;D And, YES, poor Zane ;-; Oh my gosh, thank you so much! That really means a lot to me :3**

 **JBomb217: You're right! This is really, REALLY bad, but at least you didn't have to wait a whole week for the update! :D "Amazing?!" Thank you so much! We'll see about Jay... ;D**

 **TheYellowNinja: This is definitely one of the worst situations the ninja have been in :/ That's true! C'mon, Zane, you need to be HONEST with you team! For all your own good(s?) XD Kai's certainly gotten himself into a bad situation and Cole and Jay are also in a sticky spot... :/ Aw, I'm so glad you liked Cole's mantra! I thought it was a good way to try to convey just how scared Cole was going into that room ;-; BUT, he just couldn't bring himself to beg. I think you're definitely right about the trauma! That is *if* they get out of here... XD My writing helps you visualize the scene!? Wow, that is AMAZING to hear! Winter break definitely did fly by :/ Good luck at school and thank you so so SO much for these incredibly nice words! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: True, Cole and Jay are definitely in a weird spot right now... :/ And, yep, Kai made the Bone Keeper lose out on a deal... but at what cost? And, poor Zane! He can't even talk about what he's going through ;-; Wow, my stories are torture that you WILLINGLY subject yourself to?! That means the world to me! XD Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Oh nooo! I'm sorry you were grounded! Our poor ninja are definitely going through A LOT! They need the Lydia, Morro, and Lloyd ASAP! Haha, we'll have to see if and when Jay dies... ;D Oh my goodness, thank you soooo much! That really means a lot to me! :3 Thank you so so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Angel: Haha, well, you do have to forgive some inaccuracies on my part as a humble fanfiction writer XD But, congrats on the profession! That is super admirable and I wish you all the best! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Dinofaure: You read my mind! This chapter is completely from Nya's POV, so I really hope it stands up to expectations! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Lloyd and Morro are both definitely butterflies XD I'm glad you liked that so much! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Nya had seen the look in Kai's eyes. He was putting on a brave front, but Nya could see the confusion and fear as easily as if he'd had a neon sign over his head. His left cheek was also bright red, the telltale sign of a slap, and Nya could barely keep her tray of food steady as barely suppressed rage made her shake. Someone had _hurt_ her brother. Someone was _still_ hurting her brother.

But, then the female ghost led Kai off to some unknown corner of the casino, for a purpose Nya could only guess was a punishment.

As soon as she'd deposited the last dish on the table, she rushed back into the kitchen, where several of the waitresses were gossiping as they waited for more food to take out.

"Where is she taking him?" She demanded without preamble. "Where is she taking my brother?"

The waitresses shared uneasy looks with each other. Finally, the dark-skinned girl she had talked to the night before answered quietly, "Downstairs."

"Downstairs?" Nya repeated. "What… What are they going to do to him?"

"It's terrible," the blonde explained with a shiver. "They lock you down there with the Weeping Woman."

"No one knows how long she's been down there," the redhead elaborated. "No one knows who she is. No one knows why the Bone Keeper keeps her locked up Downstairs, but she never leaves. She screams and screams and cries and never stops and you can't get _away_ from it."

"She's absolutely mad," the dark-skinned girl said. "Some people think she was his wife. Some people think she killed him. Some people think he killed her. No one knows for sure, though."

"I know it doesn't sound so bad," the blonde cut in, seeing Nya's skeptical expression. "There's no pain, but I promise you, it's torture. He's left people down there for _months_ before with her, and all she does is _scream_. You can't sleep, you can't even _think_ , and eventually all you want to do is _die_ to get away from it." She shivered again. "You're never the same when you come back out. Some people are almost as crazy as the Weeping Woman when they leave."

Nya tried to imagine Kai Downstairs with the Weeping Woman. The others didn't have to convince her; she knew her brother would not do well down there. First of all, Kai was a social person, not by choice but by _necessity_. He needed to be around people, he needed to talk to people, he needed something to _do_. Being locked in an empty cell would have been bad enough.

But, Kai, locked Downstairs with a screaming woman? Kai, who was always ready to help somebody in need, who couldn't stand the sound of someone in trouble? Kai, who would take all the world's suffering onto himself if he could? Forced to listen to a woman in agony with no way to help or escape from it?

"Do they ever put more than one prisoner down there?"

"Um… yeah," the redhead replied. "Why?"

Nya was already looking around, the calculations passing clearly over her face. "How do I get sent down there?"

The three waitresses gaped at the water ninja.

"Why on _earth_ would you want to do that?" The blonde demanded. "Were you even listening to a word we said?"

Nya looked solemnly back at them. "He's my brother."

The dark-skinned girl stepped forward, lowering her voice. "If you're sure about this, Diane's a stickler for customer service. Insulting one of the guests is a one way ticket down there."

Nya nodded, "Got it. Thank you, guys."

Finding a crude enough guest to blow up at was harder than Nya thought it would be. She wanted the outburst to look realistic enough, so as to not tip off Diane in any way that she was trying to join her brother Downstairs. All the guests were rude, but none were the right kind of rude that would warrant the reaction Nya had in mind.

Until, finally, one of them whistled at her.

"Why don't you take a break, baby doll?" He asked flirtatiously, patting his lap invitingly. "I'll make sure you get paid _overtime_."

Nya took a deep breath, steeling herself.

Then, she slammed her tray down on his table, causing the dishes placed on top of it to buck and spill over. The following _thump_ captured the attention of all the nearby tables and even some of the gamblers.

"I have _had_ it with this place!" She yelled. "All of you are pigs! _Pigs_! I mean, the way you treat women! You should be _ashamed_ -"

Nya was cut off with a yelp as she felt someone grab her ear and give it a vicious twist.

"I am so sorry for her disrespect," Diane interrupted, the smile on her face altogether too strained to appear apologetic in the slightest. "She will apologize _immediately_ for her impudence."

"No, I won't," Nya snapped, trying to shake her head even though Diane still had a firm grip on her ear. "I'll say it again. You're a _pig_ -"

Diane yanked on her ear, pulling her away from the table. "I will have her dealt with at once."

As the ghost marched Nya toward the back of the casino, Diane hissed in her ear, "You are a _server_. Your duty is to _serve_."

"I don't serve you," Nya argued, finding it very easy to inject the rebellious spirit into her words. Not only was she purposely trying to rile Diane up, but these claims were already along the lines of her own thoughts; not to mention the fact that Kai was on her mind, the thought of her headstrong brother lending her strength. "Not for long. I'll get out of here, and when I do-"

Diane shoved her against a heavy door, forcing Nya to catch herself before crashing face first into the rusted metal.

"We'll see how your attitude has adjusted after a few nights Downstairs," Diane grounded out threateningly. She removed the key from her pocket slowly, probably hoping that the anticipation was killing Nya and not knowing that this is exactly what the water ninja had wanted. Still, Nya took pains to at least appear afraid, which wasn't _that_ hard considering what she had heard about the Weeping Woman.

Diane wrenched the door open.

A blood-curdling scream, welling up from somewhere near the base of the stairs, burst out of the door, as if the pathetic creature at the bottom was being seared alive by the light filtering in from the open door.

"I'll be asking for that apology again when you come out," Diane stated as she pushed Nya toward the dark stairwell. "And, if it's not good enough, then you are going right back in."

And, with that, Diane slammed the door shut and slid the bolt in place, leaving Nya with the darkness, her sweaty palms, and the wordless sobbing.

She reached blindly for the rail, feeling carefully for the next step as she slowly descended further into the bowels of the Bone Keeper's casino and closer to the banshee wails.

"Kai?" she called, though she shouldn't have even bothered. The cries drowned out her voice, and all too soon she knew what the other waitresses meant when they said that Downstairs was torture. Already, the Weeping Woman's screams were invading her brain, making it hard for any coherent thought to surpass the noise.

She reached the bottom floor, and by then her eyes had adjusted slightly to the dimness. The only source of light in the entire room was the glow of a lone ghost, curled up in a little ball in the corner as she bawled into her hands. She was wearing a long, white dress, seemingly unmarred by her alleged years kept prisoner down here.

"Kai?" She called again as soon as there was a short lull in the howling. Of course, as soon as she even made a peep, the woman renewed her screeching, bleating barely comprehensible pleas for forgiveness.

Once again, Nya received no response. Worry causing her heart to thump in her chest, she squinted in the darkness, searching for her brother.

Finally, she spotted a lump in the opposite corner. Without hesitation, she rushed to his side. It was Kai, with both hands clamped so tightly on top of both ears that it must have been painful. No wonder he hadn't heard her calling his name.

"Kai," she said softly, more to herself than to him. She could barely make out the fire ninja in the darkness, but his eyes were squeezed shut, his entire body folded in on itself as he tried in vain to escape the Weeping Woman's howls.

Gently, she touched his shoulder.

Kai jumped, eyes shooting open in fear-

He balked, blinking rapidly as he tried to focus on the figure kneeling in front of him.

" _Nya_?"

She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

And, though Kai was still angry with her and that couldn't be erased, his muscled arms locked around her body and pulled her tight against his chest like he used to.

"Nya, it's- it's _awful_ ," he told her, their proximity being the only reason they could hear each other over the screaming. Nya's heart broke as she swore her brother was close to tears. "She-She doesn't _stop_. I tried to talk to her, I tried to ask her what was wrong, I tried to just wait for her to stop, but she never _does_. She did something bad when she was alive, and now she doesn't stop _screaming_ …"

"I know," Nya reassured, rubbing his back. "I know. But, I'm here for you now."

Suddenly, Kai stiffened, pushing her away slightly, though he didn't seem to have the heart to force a full separation. "What do you care?" He snapped, the same hurt from before bleeding into his tone. "You just think I'm pathetic. You think I need to be babied and _lied_ to-"

"You're right."

Kai looked up at her incredulously.

"I did lie to you," Nya admitted. "But, it wasn't because I thought you needed to be babied and it wasn't because I thought you were pathetic." She sighed. "It's because you're _stronger_ than me, Kai."

The red ninja was silent a moment.

"Huh?"

The Weeping Woman suddenly started shrieking louder than before, and the two siblings had to wait several minutes before she quieted down enough to be able to talk again, Nya squeezing Kai's arm all the while.

When they could finally somewhat hear each other over the sobs, Nya explained.

"You're so much stronger than me," she repeated, proving that Kai had not, in fact, misheard her. "You… You somehow have been able to hold onto hope all these years. _Somehow_ , you were always able to hope that they would come back, that they were going to show up with some explanation as to where they've been, when I stopped hoping a long time ago. But, don't you see, Kai? Hoping is so much _harder_."

Nya shook her head, feeling tears starting to prickle at her eyes now. "I've watched you work yourself to the bone all these years hoping and hoping and hoping, and I don't know how you do it. I could never be strong enough to hope that much. I gave up, because that's easier. And, I wanted you to give up, because I thought it would be easier for you too.

"But, I _get_ it now. That memory I saw? When you carried me to the hospital? The reason I never wanted to find them as badly as you did is because I didn't need a mom or dad. I had someone to kiss my scrapes, I had someone to teach me how to ride a bike, I had someone who I knew would protect me no matter what."

She grabbed Kai's hand, held it tight.

"I had _you_ , Kai," Nya stated, unable to keep the huskiness completely out of her voice. "But, you never had anyone."

Kai squeezed her hand. "Nya…"

"So, it wasn't fair of me to say that to you. You shouldn't have to get over it. You shouldn't have to stop looking. You should have the mom and dad you deserve," she took a deep breath, sounding much more confident and sure of herself now. "So, I'll get stronger. I'll start hoping too, and I'll help you look for as long as you want to. I'll try to be that someone for you too."

"Nya, I-"

"And, I should have told you about Nadakhan," Nya admitted, sighing shakily as she remembered the _other_ mistake she needed to apologize for. "But, it's just… so many awful things happened, and Jay and I… We just wanted to forget. But, it wasn't right of us to-"

Kai hugged her.

"Jay's rubbing off on you," Kai commented with a watery laugh. "Now, you don't know when to shut up, either."

Nya hesitantly returned the hug, not sure what to make of Kai's announcement. "Kai…"

"Apology accepted, sis," Kai clarified, tightening his grip on her. "But, you're right. With someone like you watching out for me, I shouldn't need a mom or dad either."

After a moment, they pulled away from each other.

The Weeping Woman took the opportunity to increase the volume of her shrieking as she begged some unseen entity for forgiveness.

" _Ugh_ ," Kai groaned, clapping his hands over his ears. Nya could barely hear him over the screaming. "I can't- I can't deal with- _that_."

"We'll get through it," Nya reassured, settling against the wall beside her brother. And, though they were imprisoned in a dungeon with an absolutely insane female ghost for an indeterminate amount of time, Nya couldn't help but smile when Kai slung his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and protecting her like he always had.

* * *

 **Ah, so a little glimmer of hope in all the bad stuff going on! Kai and Nya have finally made up! :3**

 **Next chapter (on Saturday): we rejoin Morro, Lloyd, and our other ghosties! :D**

 **Have a WONDERFUL day, and thank you for reading! :D**


	21. Waking Up

**Yay, I'm on time for once! :D Also, I am SO CLOSE to FINALLY catching up with review replies! (Though I still have to reply to Getting to Know You reviews... -_-;)**

 **Also, my glasses broke, so I'm posting this chapter with my face three inches from the screen and it's still not close enough ;-; #thestruggleisreal**

 **Special thanks to: WindNinja333, KyraPlays, Inimidesert, MightyShipper, GameCubeGirl1, TheKittenQueen, Ebony umbreon, Wolfjem, RandomDragon2.0, Fxreflies, Katla1, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, TheYellowNinja, SpiritDragon, Guest, Dinofaure, Jadestorm, Angel Star Ninja, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, and Watcher321! Thank you all sooooo much! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Aw, thank you so much! You have a wonderful day too! :D**

 **JBomb217: Nya is pretty awesome :D Hm, all good thoughts! We will see... ;D We'll check in with the dream team this chapter! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: RIGHT?! This sibling duo needs more appreciation! XD Yay! I'm so glad you thought it was cute! And, you'll have to wait and see... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, I'm glad you liked the heaviness! I thought it was appropriate for the setting :/ And, yes! Kai and Nya have made up and they have each other to get them through this :3 Oh my goodness, that is a HUGE compliment! Thank you so so so much! I have written *some* original stuff (though I don't think it's that good ^-^;) and being a published author would be like a dream come true! Though it's not the focus of my career, I don't think I'll ever stop writing :3 You just really made my whole day! :3 Thank you SO much! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Good guess! We will see ;D I'd definitely go crazy down there :/ Haha, she probably would have lost her voice if she were human, but since she's a ghost, she can pretty much go forever O-o Haha, anybody would think Nya was crazy for wanting to get sent down there ON PURPOSE! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: Haha, that's a pretty good summary of the chapter! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Dinofaure: Aw, thank you so much! Here you go! XD**

 **Jadestorm: Yay, I'm so happy you thought it was cute! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **AngelStarNinja: Hm, I don't think I've read that one! Probably the same basic concept though XD Thank you so much for all your reviews on so many of my stories! They're definitely appreciated! :D**

* * *

"-just saying, consider it, Morro."

Lloyd woke up slowly, once again struggling to gather his bearings. The first thing he became aware of was that that was _Wrayth's_ voice- Wrayth, who had possessed him and _laughed_ at him last night. Automatically, Lloyd's fear got the better of him, and he kept his eyes closed and tried to maintain a deep, rhythmic pattern of breathing so Wrayth and presumably the other ghosts would not know he was awake.

The second thing he was aware of was that his head was resting on something somewhat soft- certainly softer than the rocks he remembered falling asleep against- and warm.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm- a strong, comforting, _human_ hand, and so it had to be Morro's- and that's when he realized.

He was sleeping with his head in Morro's lap. So, not only had he cried in Morro's arms and had a borderline panic attack after a ten second possession, but now he was- without even an ounce of scorpion venom in his blood- cuddling the wind master. No wonder Morro had described him as fragile and gentle the day before.

Pretending to be asleep would then put off the humiliation that would be forthcoming… but also allowed him to listen a conversation that he was obviously not meant to hear.

"No, guys," Morro said now, his grip tightening almost imperceptibly on Lloyd's arm. "I can't… I can't _be_ like how I was. I don't like who I am when I'm with you guys. I mean, you saw the way he looked at me. Like he was _scared_."

Lloyd felt guilt wrap a fist around his heart and squeeze. Here Lloyd was afraid Morro was being pulled toward his old ways when, really, Lloyd was the one pushing him away.

"Exactly," Bansha argued irritably. "We saw the way he looked at you. Like you're _less than_. He doesn't see you like we do, Morro."

"None of them do," Wrayth reinforced earnestly. "I mean, I saw you with the other ninja, too, Morro. They don't even seem to _like_ you."

"They do," Morro countered, though if it sounded weak to Lloyd, it certainly sounded weak to the others. "Why else would they want me to become human again?"

"Pity, probably," the Soul Archer answered unsympathetically. "They probably see you as a charity case to inflate their own egos. But, you can't be something you are not, Morro. And, you were always a better ghost than you were a ninja."

Morro was silent.

"Ghoultar want Morro to be happy," Ghoultar stated mournfully. "And, Ghoultar does not think Morro is happy now."

Lloyd couldn't stand it anymore. After everything Morro had been through and all the hard work he'd put in, these ghosts were trying to poison his mind, turn them against each other, and convince him to throw away his second chance at life. Now instead of feeling scared of Morro's so-called "friends," Lloyd felt nothing but a burning rage toward them now.

In order to put a stop to this attempted brainwashing- and so they wouldn't catch him eavesdropping- Lloyd stirred and groaned, as if he was just waking up.

"Get back," Morro ordered the others. "Don't be so close when he wakes up."

There was some shuffling (and maybe a grumble or two) as the ghosts moved farther away, and only then did Lloyd open his eyes, sitting up and rubbing them in an attempt to avoid acknowledging the position he had woken up in.

"Lloyd," Morro addressed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lloyd replied immediately, perhaps a little too cheerfully considering the circumstances.

Morro raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, the beginnings of a smile touching his lips. "Okay… good. So, um, what do you want to do about the others? Do you want me to tell them to leave?"

When Lloyd didn't respond immediately, choosing instead to study Morro's face for a moment, the wind master continued haltingly. "I mean, what Wrayth did was, you know, _unacceptable_ , but honestly, I don't think they meant any harm. It's just how they mess around. But, if you want me to tell them to leave, I will."

Lloyd thought. After everything that had happened last night, Lloyd should have wanted to say yes, hands down, no questions asked.

But, then. Then, it had become about something more than two factions squabbling over the attention of a mutual acquaintance. It was about the way these ghosts had slandered his family. It was about the way these ghosts were trying to take Morro away from them.

It was about the way Morro had protected him.

It was about Lloyd protecting Morro now.

"No, it's okay," Lloyd replied. "I know they didn't really mean anything by it."

Morro's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Lloyd shrugged nonchalantly. "They can come."

Because Wrayth and the others had become more than an obstacle. They were a _challenge_. And, Lloyd was ready to stop attempting to fade into the background.

He would show them what this "butterfly" could do.

* * *

"And then Bansha just went _off_ on this guy! I mean, you should have seen her, Morro! I've never been more terrified in my entire afterlife," Wrayth finished, eliciting laughter from Morro.

Whereas Lloyd normally would have stayed trailing behind the back of the group trekking through Gem's jungle, silently stewing over the fact that Morro seemed so much more comfortable with his former friends than he had at home, this time the Green Ninja was determined to take the initiative.

So, Lloyd boldly marched up to Morro's side- conspicuously between him and Wrayth- and slung a friendly arm around the wind master's neck.

"Hey, Morro, remember when we here the first time and Zane almost got eaten by that giant venus fly trap?"

"Oh, yeah!" Morro exclaimed, laughing even harder than he had been before. "That was honestly pretty scary. Oh, and then when Kai got chased by those freaky mosquito things…?"

As the two of them continued to reminisce, Lloyd flashed a triumphant smirk at Wrayth, who was grinding his teeth as he seethed at the interruption. Lloyd refused to feel guilty, though; Wrayth had done his fair share of interrupting and diverting the conversation the day before, and turn about was certainly fair play.

Lloyd made sure to keep up the pattern throughout their jungle journey. Anytime there was a lull in the conversation or one of the other ghosts had been hogging it for too long, Lloyd intervened, choosing instead to discuss something ninja or human or present-day Ninjago related so he could all but exclude the ghosts.

Morro seemed oblivious to Lloyd's true purpose but… pleasantly surprised by the attention and effort the Green Ninja was showing him. And, Lloyd realized that they were missing… _this_ in Ninjago. He couldn't remember the last time he and Morro had held a civil, pointless conversation like friends would.

Maybe he was scared Morro was a ticking time bomb because Lloyd was treating him like one. Maybe Morro shut down and clammed up and refused help because he didn't feel like he had a brother to help him.

Well, that was going to change, Lloyd decided as he shoved Morro playfully after the wind master had made a snarky comment. He may have come out of his coma two days before, but Lloyd felt like it was only now that he was truly waking up.

Finally, by late afternoon, Gem's castle had come into sight.

"Wow," Bansha, who was near the front of the group, commented, sounding begrudgingly impressed. "This is not what I expected from a place usually described as worn down and decrepit."

All of Lloyd's doubts of whether the Lost Souls had reappropriated Gem's old castle disappeared as soon as the face of the building came into view. The first thing that registered was the _color_. Whereas Lloyd remembered Gem's castle as being faded and dark with sprawling ivy, now the stone blocks were shiny and glistening as if freshly polished. Flower pots hung at almost every interval, blooming with all the colors that had originally been confined to Gem's walled garden in the back. More flowers swarmed the base of the castle, as if the entire building was resting peacefully on a flower bed.

Not only that, but the palace was obviously no longer abandoned. The security before had relied almost entirely on Gem's own faith in her mind control abilities, but now sentries patrolled the (repaired and no longer crumbling) battlements- and by the way they were ogling the mismatched group of travelers approaching the closed drawbridge and front door, Lloyd and the others had been spotted, the news of their arrival no doubt being spread.

This was confirmed when the front door beside the drawbridge swung open before they reached it.

And, Lloyd came face to face with his father.

"Lloyd?" Garmadon all but whispered, blinking rapidly as if unable to believe his eyes.

Lloyd responded by hurrying to close the distance between them and crushing his father into a hug, not caring that the ghosts saw this rather butterfly-ish display of affection, though he made sure not to let the tears collecting on his eyelids fall.

Garmadon responded by laying his arms gently on Lloyd, like he was afraid his son was an illusion that would disappear as soon as he looked it at it too hard. When Lloyd remained solid and here and _present_ in his arms, Garmadon squeezed him to his chest with a vigor that made Lloyd wheeze with breathlessness.

"Lloyd, what are you doing here?" Garmadon asked softly. "Where are the rest of the ninja? Who are your… friends?"

Lloyd laughed nervously as he pulled away from his father. "It's, um, kind of a long story, but we can explain."

Morro cleared his throat, leaning around Garmadon to try to peer into the interior of the castle. "But, first, where's-"

Gem had burst out the door before Morro could even finish the question, colliding into his chest with all the force her little legs could muster. He caught her and swung her around before pulling her close to his chest, both of them laughing with a child-like giddiness as they embraced for the first time since Gem had forced Morro through the Rift of Return without her.

That is until Gem smacked him lightly in the face.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, trying to come off as irritated and failing miserably when her grin gave her away.

"Ow!" Morro exclaimed, acting as if he had been slapped by a giant rather than a six year old ghost. "Nice to see you too!"

Gem gasped softly, poking Morro's cheek repeatedly. "You're so much squishier as a human!"

"That's good. Wouldn't want to fall below my quota of squishiness."

" _Anyway_ ," Garmadon cut in irritably. "I want a _very_ good reason for you to endanger the Realm Crystal like this. Let's go inside. But…," lowering his voice, he asked only Lloyd, "These ghosts… Are they trustworthy?"

Lloyd glanced at Wrayth and the others, waiting rather impatiently for the reunions to end so they could get back to business. They obviously were devoted to Morro, if their efforts to get him to stay in the Departed Realm were any indication. Besides, Wrayth _had_ saved them back at the Bone Keeper's, and aside from their rather rowdy disposition, none of them had done anything truly _evil_. Even Wrayth's brief possession came off as more of an unfunny joke rather than a malicious act.

Besides, Morro would be disappointed if his friends had to leave now...

"Yeah," Lloyd whispered back. "They're good."

So, the six of them were ushered into the newly renovated castle where they saw even more evidence of upkeep: polished floors, handmade and professionally made decorations, ghosts passing in and out of rooms, and the dull roar of noise that had been missing before.

They were led into a small, elegant dining room with a long table and enough chairs for all of them to sit down.

And at that exact moment, Dr. Julien, Corrine, Lydia, and- Lloyd almost squealed with barely contained giddiness- Cliff Gordon burst into the room.

"Where's Zane?!"

"Where's Cole?!"

"Where's Jay?!"

"Alright, alright," Garmadon cut in, holding his hands up placatingly. "Let's all just sit down and discuss this calmly like the adults we are."

And, as soon as they were settled around the dining table, Lloyd did just that, beginning with the attack that had put him into a coma- which made Garmadon blanch- and ending with the others being taken forcibly into the Bone Keeper's employ- which made the other parents blanch.

During the retelling, Gem continuously poked Morro, apparently delighted by his newly acquired flesh and bone, and Morro responded in kind. Wrayth and the other ghosts appeared just as bored by the retelling but restrained themselves from being as distracting as Morro and Gem.

Finally, Lloyd finished. "...and, that's why we came. We need the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone to get him to release the others."

"Well, of _course_ ," Lydia said, fuming. She reached down the front of her shirt and pulled out a necklace. Lloyd's eyebrows shot up when he realized that it was the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone attached to the chain. Though, it made sense that Lydia would keep something as valuable as _the Bone Keeper's_ Soul Stone within her sight at all times. "I can't _believe_ he- Ugh, that jerk's really sunk to a new level, taking my baby like that."

"Are they okay?" Corrine asked apprehensively, wringing her hands. "I mean… Do you know what he's _doing_ to them?"

Lloyd reached across the table to accept the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone from Lydia, which he stored carefully in his pocket. Sadly, he shook his head. "No idea."

"Don't worry," Garmadon said confidently, reaching over to pat Lloyd on the back comfortingly. "They're strong. They'll be able to last until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Corrine repeated shrilly. "What do you mean tomorrow?"

"Lloyd and Morro, at least, need to rest and get their strength up," Garmadon explained calmly. "When is the last time the two of you had a good meal?"

"They ninja will be okay, Corrine," Dr. Julien reassured, patting her hand. "Garmadon's right. Our children are even stronger than we know. They'll be alright."

Lloyd and Morro shared a look, as if silently weighing their options… when Lloyd finally sighed and nodded at his dad. "Fine. We'll leave in the morning."

Lydia clapped her hands, pasting a friendly smile on her face though it didn't diminish the worry lines. "Well, let's get you all some food then! And, in the meantime, you guys can introduce us to your other friends!"

Dinner was… surprisingly very jovial. Though Lloyd assumed it would be awkward with the two wildly different factions of ghosts, after Wrayth, Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer had been introduced, they were as polite and friendly as school friends being brought to his house for dinner for the first time. Lloyd was almost a little annoyed that they didn't justify his disdain for them further and made him wonder why they didn't feel the need to show _him_ the same cordiality.

They spent most of the time catching each other up on the happenings in both Ninjago and the Departed Realm, the respective parents asking after their children's wellbeing, while Gem and Morro continued to tease each other and bicker as naturally as if Morro had never left. Lloyd tried to memorize every interaction with his father, tried to commit each and every smile and laugh to memory, tried to ameliorate the ache in his chest that never really went away no matter how much time passed.

But, when darkness fell over the jungle, dinner was long finished, and Lloyd felt his eyelids getting just a _little_ bit heavier, they decided to call it a night.

"Follow me," Dr. Julien offered, standing with a polite smile. "I can show you all to some guest rooms."

The four ghosts and two humans stood (though Morro did not set Gem down, and Gem did not complain about being dragged along.) Once Lloyd had said goodnight to Garmadon and passed into the hallway-

He was stopped by Wrayth. The others continued on, and Lloyd almost wanted to call after Morro who was utterly preoccupied with Gem.

"Listen, Lloyd," Wrayth addressed somewhat sheepishly, his eyes directed at the ground. The Green Ninja started, this being the first time Wrayth had ever addressed him by name. "I, uh… Just wanted to say, you know," the ghost coughed in discomfort. "Sorry. About last night. I didn't… I didn't think." He laughed ruefully. "Morro always says I need to use my head more."

Lloyd stared. Honestly, he… didn't quite know what to say in response to this… rather earnest apology. "Um… thanks, Wrayth." In the face of _this_ , Lloyd started to feel a little bad that he had acted as such an obstacle between Morro and the other ghosts now. "It's… It's okay."

Wrayth offered half a smile to the Green Ninja before wrapping a friendly arm around his neck and leading him onward. "Good, I'm glad we got that sorted out." He laughed, slapping Lloyd on the chest amiably. "I mean, if Morro likes you, you can't be all bad."

Lloyd was utterly and completely shocked and blindsided by Wrayth's 180 personality change. Wrayth had hated him from the minute he had laid eyes on Lloyd, and now, suddenly he was… actually being nice? Maybe the possession last night had been a wake up call for the both of them? Maybe Wrayth recognized that Lloyd wasn't going to give Morro up without a fight and took "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" to heart?

Whatever it was, Lloyd was glad to finally not have to feel like Wrayth was shooting him death glares behind his back.

By the time they caught up to Dr. Julien farther down the hall, Bansha, the Soul Archer, and Ghoultar had disappeared into their individual guest rooms, and Morro and Gem were excitedly giggling on the floor of Morro's room as the latter threw an armful of paper and crayons on the floor for the Ultimate Coloring Extravaganza, apparently.

"Ah, there you two are," Dr. Julien greeted, the fond smile remaining on his face from when he had been watching Gem and Morro fight over the right to use the purple crayon before closing the door. "Wrayth, you can have this room, and Lloyd, the room at the end of the hall is free."

"Thanks," Wrayth said, nodding in acknowledgment as he headed into the room beside Morro's. "See ya, Lloyd."

Lloyd, still unable to accept the fact that Wrayth was actually being _civil_ with him, headed toward his own room in a daze.

"Lloyd," Dr. Julien called just as the Green Ninja opened the door to his guest room. "I know we discussed this at the dinner table, but… Zane. Is he really doing alright? He was struggling with some things the last couple of times I saw him." The old ghost chuckled. "And a father can't help but worry."

Lloyd hesitated. Zane had been struggling? With what? Why hadn't he come to one of them? He had seemed perfectly happy the last time Lloyd had talked to him.

The leader sighed. First Morro, and now Zane. Lloyd was really starting to feel like he hadn't been being the brother he needed to be.

"He's good," Lloyd replied noncommittally, offering a reassuring smile. "Zane's the best, and I'm sure that he and everyone else are doing okay at the Bone Keeper's. Like you said, they're strong."

Dr. Julien grinned. "Yes, they are. Well, I'll let you get some rest then. Goodnight, Lloyd."

"Night," Lloyd reciprocated before entering his guest room. It was the first time he had been alone since waking from his coma, but suddenly, the last thing Lloyd wanted to do was be alone. Talking about Zane like that just brought the intense pang of loneliness rushing to the surface, and Lloyd felt a sudden and intense yearning for his brothers and sister, like he was a little kid again, wanting somebody to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Lloyd was the leader, but he was nothing without his team and that had never been so painfully obvious before.

Lloyd collapsed onto the comfortable bed that smelled fresh, as if it had just been cleaned. He groaned into his pillow. He _missed_ them. It was as simple as that.

Not to mention the fact that he had no clue what they were enduring at the Bone Keeper's. The cold and calculating ghost was certainly not the ninja's biggest fan, so who knew what acts of vengeance he could be wreaking on Lloyd's siblings with them at his complete mercy.

Plus, it was all Lloyd's fault they were even in that mess in the first place.

He turned onto his back, watching the ceiling dejectedly. Just until tomorrow, he reminded himself, wishing he could send that same comfort to his siblings. He had the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone now, so it was only a matter of time. To reassure himself of this, Lloyd patted his pocket-

And, cold horror washed over him.

Lloyd reached deep into his pocket, pulling it inside out before doing the same with the other one. He ripped the comforter and sheet off the bed, running his hands all along the mattress. He got down on his hands and knees, inspecting the floor, peering under the bed and dresser and nightstand.

It wasn't there.

The Bone Keeper's Soul Stone was _gone_.

Lloyd ran his hands through his hair, trying to quell the panic rising within him. How could he be so _stupid_? How could he have lost something as precious and valuable as the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone, the key to all of his siblings' freedom?

 _Focus, Lloyd_ , he snapped at himself. Taking a deep breath, he tried to retrace his steps. Lydia had handed him the Soul Stone before dinner. Lloyd had slipped it into his pocket then. They had headed to their rooms, and Wrayth had-

Lloyd froze.

" _He actually tried to pickpocket me," Morro had laughed as he explained to Lloyd how they had run into Wrayth at the train station. "He's actually pretty good at it. Not as good as me, of course, but still pretty good."_

Lloyd had never felt more stupid. Here he was again, being tricked by someone with a smile and fake friendliness, just like Pythor. Of _course_ Wrayth hadn't changed his tune. He just needed to get close enough.

Immediately, Lloyd rushed from his room, rage and embarrassment fueling his sprint, and burst into Wrayth's.

Where Ghoultar and the Soul Archer were securing a rope to the bedpost and feeding it out the window.

And, Bansha was holding the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone up to the moonlight filtering in from the window.

Wrayth groaned, tossing his head back in exasperation.

"You just have to ruin _everything_ , don't you, green bean?"

* * *

 **Oh NO! BETRAYAL!**

 **(Don't worry if you're confused- everything will be explained next chapter ;D)**

 **Thank you soooo much for reading! :D**


	22. Like How It Was Before

**Hey, everyone! I tried to shoot for an early update, but life got in the way (per usual ;-;)**

 **But, in AWESOME news: at 514 reviews, Forgotten Memory has OFFICIALLY surpassed Broken Circle as my story with the most reviews! Thank you guys so so so so SO much for all of this wonderful support and feedback! I cannot DESCRIBE how much each and every one of your comments mean to me, let alone the fact that you guys take the time out of your day to do so! I love you guys :3**

 **Special thanks to: Revlis Charm, KyraPlays, RandomDragon2.0, Inimidesert, Wolfjem, TheKittenQueen, WindNinja333, Ebony umbreon, GameCubeGirl1, Katla 1, Tails FT Foxy, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, Plumcicle, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, silverTimeTwin, Peanut2196, JBomb217, Angel Star Ninja, TheYellowNinja, ColeLoverGirl, Jadestorm, Rick Riordan1, MightyShipper, Fxreflies, PrairieSkies, Watcher321, GalacticD0nuts, FullMetalPon-3, DannyPhantomPhandom, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, thefiresensei, and SpiritDragon! :D I love all of you guys so much! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **JBomb217: Haha, you were right to be shocked by Wrayth's apology! XD We'll see Morro's reaction this chapter *and* check in with the other ninja, so no worries there! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Hahahaha! That was a PERFECTLY accurate summary of the end of the chapter, and DEFINITELY how Wrayth would respond! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, yeah, I *loved* writing Lloyd and Wrayth competing for Morro's attention XD Yay, and I'm so glad you liked the reunion! Hm, we'll see... XD UGH, missing my glasses is TERRIBLE, since I can pretty much do nothing without them ;-; And, I've definitely been there with not being able to see the board at school, so I'm glad you're getting new glasses! (I superglued mine together, so we're good XD) Oh my goodness, thank you so much! That REALLY means a lot to me, since I struggle a lot with feeling confident about my stories ^-^; And, YES, writing will ALWAYS be a hobby of mine, too! :D Thank you SO much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Haha, Wrayth definitely deserves that beating! XD I *hope* this chapter will clear a few things up, but if you're still confused after reading it, PLEASE let me know! :D Hm, we'll see *if* Lloyd can figure out what to do ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Jadestorm: Very true! Lloyd is outnumbered four to one! We'll see what he can do ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Aw, I'm so glad you liked the Kai and Nya fluff! :D No worries, we'll check back in with the other ninja! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **MightyShipper: C'mon, you didn't think we could actually finish the story *without* some betrayal, did you? XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Haha, Wrayth is more than just a pretty face ;D Aw, I'm so glad you liked Morro and Lloyd growing closer and the other reunions with the ghosts! :D We'll check in with the other ninja this chapter ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Lloyd wasted no time in lunging for Bansha. Unfortunately, she had seen him coming and ducked under his outstretched arm, clasping the Soul Stone close to her chest. Wrayth dove to trip Lloyd, who deftly sidestepped the tackle- only to be grappled by Ghoultar's massiveness, the ghost wrenching both arms behind his back.

Lloyd struggled, bucking wildly and kicking to get Ghoultar to let go- when he noticed one of the Soul Archer's arrows- arrows that could turn any living thing into a ghost- aimed directly at his face.

Lloyd went still, but the sneer on his face only became more severe.

Bansha cocked her head as she studied his hateful expression, planting both hands on her hips. "Yep, we're going to have to tie him up. And, gag him too."

"There's no _way_ you're getting away with this," Lloyd growled, trying to pull away from Ghoultar's iron grip and only stopping when the Soul Archer drew his bow string back even more. "I mean, have you been _working_ for slime like the Bone Keeper? The _whole_ time?"

"Sorry, Green Ninja," the Soul Archer began mock-regretfully. "But, you are not as good a judge of character as you think you are."

Lloyd gritted his teeth. "Yeah, well, what about Morro? I mean, how do you think he's going to react once he's found out how you _betrayed_ him?"

"You're even dumber than you look," Wrayth chuckled. "You think Morro's not going to come _with_ us once he finds out what we did for him?"

Lloyd balked- when someone suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Speak of the devil…

"Hey, can you guys keep it down in here? We're-" Although Morro started out crossly enough, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates once he spotted the situation his five companions found themselves in. He took a threatening step forward into the room, his fists clenching. "Ghoultar, what are you _doing_?! Let him go!"

"Morro, they've been working for the Bone Keeper the whole time!" Lloyd called out desperately, renewing his struggles against the giant hands slowly but surely breaking his wrists. "They-They took his Soul Stone! They were going to run away with it!"

Morro's eyes darted from Lloyd to the Soul Archer's cocked arrow to the rope hanging out the window. Slowly, he shook his head in disbelief. "No… They wouldn't. They _wouldn't_."

"How did they find us in the desert? Why didn't the Bone Keeper send anyone after us?" Lloyd demanded before the other ghosts could try to explain themselves, terror rising in his gut that Wrayth was right- that if he couldn't convince Morro, he would _join_ them. "The answer is, he _did_! They needed to get close to his Soul Stone and _we let them in_!"

Morro's expression transformed into one of horror as Lloyd's words rang true. "You- You- How _could_ you?" Morro asked, gazing at the four ghosts with something that could only be described as betrayal.

"Morro, Morro, listen!" Wrayth begged, taking a step forward and holding his hands out in a show of innocence. "We didn't betray you! We did all of this _for_ you!"

Morro blinked. "What?"

"The Bone Keeper offered us great rewards for retrieving his Soul Stone," the Soul Archer explained calmly, though his stony gaze did not leave Lloyd- specifically the place between his eyes where his arrow would stick if Lloyd attempted to escape again. "Souls, vehicles, stature. The beginnings of our empire. With _you_ as our leader."

"Yeah, yeah, you didn't think we were going to leave you behind, did you?" Wrayth reinforced. "The condition to us helping was that the Bone Keeper couldn't take your soul. You think he just let it go by accident, back in his office? No, it was all part of the plan! So, that you could come back to us!"

Morro blinked yet again, attempting to process this information. "What do you mean, _come back_?"

"We said it before, Morro," Bansha replied. "You can never be the person you were with them. They don't respect you like we do."

"Ghoultar miss Morro," Ghoultar rumbled from behind Lloyd.

Morro was silent, looking at each of the ghosts in turn, and once again Lloyd was hurt and sad and _scared_ that Morro was even considering it.

"C'mon, Morro," Wrayth reinforced. "I mean, do you really want to go back to Ninjago where everyone hates you? Where your so-called 'brothers' hate you?"

" _You're wrong!_ "

Lloyd took a step forward, pulling Ghoultar along behind him and making the Soul Archer's arrow pull alarmingly taut against his bowstring.

"They're wrong, Morro! You _know_ they're wrong!" Lloyd shouted. "I don't care what the rest of Ninjago thinks! We love you! _I_ love you!"

It was the first time he'd ever said it.

It would have been impossible for Morro's eyes to widen any more.

Lloyd sighed, pitching forward as Ghoultar yanked him backward. "And, I am _sorry_ if I ever made you feel like that wasn't true."

No one moved for a moment.

Finally, Bansha snorted, shaking her head. "C'mon, Morro, you know he'd say anything at this point to save his _real_ brothers."

"You would be our _leader_ , Morro," the Soul Archer reminded him.

"It can be like how it was before," Wrayth said encouragingly.

There was a pause.

Slowly, Morro walked forward, toward Wrayth. The ghost greeted him with a grin and an outstretched hand, ecstatic that he'd made the right choice. Lloyd hung his head, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.

Morro clasped Wrayth's hand, and the ghost said excitedly, "I _knew_ you'd-"

In an instant, Morro wrenched Wrayth's arm behind his back, making him cry out in pain. "Where's the Soul Stone, Wrayth?"

Lloyd, not having time enough to acknowledge the absolute joy rising in his chest, let alone reassure Morro that his decision had not been in vain, cried out, "Bansha has it!"

"Go, Bansha, go!" Wrayth called as he tried to wrestle his way out of Morro's grasp. Bansha wasted no time in obeying, sprinting out of the room with the Soul Stone still clutched firmly against her chest. The wind master released Wrayth, though, running out after her.

Lloyd's attention was drawn away from the doorway, where Wrayth was following in pursuit of Morro, when he heard the Soul Archer's bow string tighten. Instinctively, Lloyd pushed off the floor with his feet and kicked the ghost's wrists, causing the now released arrow to streak dangerously close to Lloyd's ear as it sailed past his head- and into Ghoultar's shoulder.

The bigger ghost roared in pain, releasing Lloyd, and the Green Ninja rammed into the shocked Soul Archer, sending him tumbling backward over a table.

Lloyd rushed out of the room, desperate to help out his outnumbered brother. As he went, he took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Dad! Lydia! Corrine! Dr. Julien! _Everybody_ , help! They stole the Soul Stone!"

Even as Lloyd ran down the corridor, hoping beyond hope that he could catch up to wherever Bansha ran off to, doors were opening, heads peeking out curiously into the hallway to see what the commotion was about.

Luckily, as Lloyd turned into the main room, he saw Morro with his arm around Bansha's neck, clamping her jaw shut so she couldn't release her infamous shriek, as the other hand scrabbled desperately for the Soul Stone hidden in her fist.

Wrayth was on the floor, trying to recover from, presumably, being hit by Morro. As he made it to his feet and made to lunge for Morro again, Lloyd tackled him, sending both of them careening to the floor and rolling over and over each other.

Wrayth landed on top of Lloyd, his eyes narrowed into smoldering slits. "I've had just about _enough_ of-"

Garmadon appeared, grabbing Wrayth by the back of his shirt and bodily tossing him off of Lloyd. As he reached out a hand to help his son back to his feet, he remarked wryly, "I might be mistaken, but I could have sworn you said these ghosts were, and I quote, 'good.'"

Lloyd grumbled as he regained his footing, "Yeah, yeah, we've all established I'm terrible at-"

Garmadon, scarcely after helping his son up, pushed him to the ground again- and Lloyd saw why when, not a moment later, one of the Soul Archer's arrows buried itself in the center of Garmadon's chest, knocking him to the ground.

" _Dad_!" Lloyd cried out, scrambling to his knees to kneel by his father's side. Looking up, he saw the Soul Archer notching another arrow to his bow- before receiving a vicious kick to the side of the head, courtesy of Lydia.

"I'm okay, Lloyd," Garmadon reassured tightly. Looking down, the Green Ninja saw that the shaft of the ghostly arrow, along with the wound, had already dissipated, as ghosts healed almost instantly.

Nodding, Lloyd looked around frantically once again. "Wait, where's-"

Lloyd's green eyes darted immediately to the source of a fierce war cry, where Ghoultar was wrapping both meaty hands around Morro, easily lifting the more lithe human off the ground- away from Bansha and the Soul Stone- before slamming him into the floor so his head collided with the tile with a _crack_ Lloyd could hear even from this distance.

"Morro!" Lloyd yelped.

"Go!" Garmadon told his son, recovering from his brief wound and jumping back to his feet to help in the battle against the thieves.

Lloyd nodded curtly and rushed to Morro's side, helping the dazed wind master sit up as some other Lost Souls attempted to fend off Ghoultar and block Bansha from escaping with the Soul Stone.

"Enough!" Garmadon called, his deep voice cutting clearly through the chaos of the battle. "You're surrounded!"

At that statement, the fighting slowed and stopped, and once the dust settled, they saw Garmadon was right. Ghoultar, Wrayth, the Soul Archer, and most importantly, Bansha, who had held onto the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone with an iron grip, were gathered more or less in the center of the foyer of the castle, surrounded on all sides by the armed Lost Souls, with Lydia, Garmadon, Lloyd, and Morro at the forefront.

Gem came then, pushing her way through the crowd with the four Dark Daggers the Lost Souls owned bundled in her arms, which she handed to the four leading fighters before peppering Morro with questions about his well being.

"There is no way you four are possibly getting out of this castle with that Soul Stone _and_ all of yours intact," Garmadon growled threateningly, accepting one of the Dark Daggers from Gem. "If you decide to do this the easy way and give us the Bone Keeper's Soul Stone, we'll let you go peacefully. No harm, no foul."

"'The easy way,'" Bansha mocked. "Like we're scared of you, old man."

"Gem," Morro called as Lloyd helped him to his feet. "Make her give it up."

Gem obediently fixed her haunting gaze on the female thief to mind control her. There was tense silent for a moment- before Gem gasped, backing up a step as if physically attacked.

"I… You- You _blocked_ me!" Gem sputtered, glancing fearfully back and forth between Bansha and Morro.

"Bansha has mind powers, too, little girl," the ghost sneered with a smirk. "We cancel each other out."

Gem looked up at Morro apologetically, shaking her head helplessly as if to confirm what Bansha had said.

"The hard way it is then," Garmadon decided mock-regretfully. "Everybody, swarm-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Wrayth called out, holding up his finger to indicate that they should wait before attacking the outnumbered ghosts. "You might not want to do that. The second you hurt one us, Bansha sends a telepathic message to the Bone Keeper- and he kills the ninja."

The family of the ninja being held hostage back at the Bone Keeper's casino looked at Garmadon with alarmed expressions.

"If he kills them, then we have no reason not to hurt you," Garmadon pointed out, his voice dangerously low.

"Then, it appears we are at a stalemate," the Soul Archer declared, crossing his arms.

Morro stiffened suddenly before turning and whispering in Lloyd's ear. Lloyd nodded as he listened, considering whatever Morro proposed for a moment, before taking a step toward the ghosts.

"You send that message to the Bone Keeper," Lloyd demanded, raising his chin confidently. "Tell him we want to make a deal."

* * *

Jay's stomach was on fire.

The blue ninja groaned as he shifted ever so slightly, the blazing agony ripping through his midsection like he was leaning against the hottest stove of all time. In a volcano. On the surface of the sun.

Jay couldn't help as another groan (whimper) escaped him as he opened his eyes, trying to decide if he was the first person to actually die while he was already in the Departed Realm or not. Painfully raising a hand in front of his face, Jay saw that he was still human for now. Hm, that was a bit disappointing. Maybe if he was a ghost, this wouldn't hurt so much.

This was the second time he was stabbed there in the span of two days. If this trend kept up, he wouldn't have to wait long to obtain the coveted title of first death in the Departed Realm.

Blinking to clear his vision, Jay tried to sit up as much as his aching stomach would allow. He saw he was in the ninja's shared, temporary dormitory, on one of the still extremely uncomfortable cots-

And beside him was a head of black hair, resting its forehead on a bent arm and snoring softly.

Jay couldn't help but grin so wide his mouth hurt when he saw that Cole had been keeping vigil over him, sitting in a chair beside his bed for who knows how long until he fell asleep, his head resting on the edge of Jay's cot. That meant he still cared- at least enough to not let him die. That was something.

Suddenly, Jay was reminded of the time shortly after he had accidentally pushed ghost Cole into some water, and he had reappeared, staying by Jay's bedside and reassuring him even when he had no memory of their brotherhood.

Cole- his ninja instincts probably helping him sense someone watching him, even in slumber- started awake suddenly, grunting and rubbing his eyes as he sat up and tried to gather his bearings in the same way Jay had moments ago.

Then, he met Jay's open, awake, _alive_ blue eyes.

"Jay!" He exclaimed, grabbing the blue ninja's arm in excitement. "You're awake! Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm-" ow, okay, talking hurt a _lot_. But, then again, so did breathing. "I'm good. Um, what-what time is it?"

"It's the next night," Cole explained distractedly as he folded down the blanket over Jay so he could inspect the white gauze wrapped tightly around Jay's bare stomach. "Technically I should be working, but I managed to convince them that you needed someone to watch over you to make sure you didn't die. The Bone Keeper may hate our guts, but he still wants us alive- for now- so they agreed."

Jay winced as Cole prodded his injury, but it was only because he was getting a close up view of Cole's own injuries. His face was sporting a smattering of bruises in various states of healing, and there was even still a bit of dried blood on his chin that he must have missed when cleaning his face.

But, that wasn't the only hurt. There was still the hurt Jay had caused him on the inside.

"Listen, Cole," Jay said as he tried to pull himself into a more upright position. "I just wanted to say I am so sorry-"

"It's okay, Jay," Cole interrupted without taking his eyes off of Jay's stomach. "I mean, you almost _died_."

Jay almost smiled, because all was forgiven! Cole wasn't mad at him anymore, and then things could go back to how they were before-

He stopped. Frowned.

Jay pushed Cole's hands away, forcing the surprised black ninja to sit back.

"No."

Cole blinked. "Huh?"

"I don't accept your forgiveness," Jay stated firmly as he finished pulling himself into a sitting position, resting his back against the wall to try to relieve the pressure on his abdomen.

"Um, I don't think you understand how this works, Jay."

"No, _listen_ , Cole!" Jay demanded. "Okay? I _saw_ that memory with your mom. I _saw_ how it was for you with her as a parent."

Cole had gone rigid, his gaze darkening ever so slightly. "Jay, don't talk about her like-"

" _No_ , Cole!" Jay yelled, and- surprisingly- Cole listened, falling into stunned silence. The lightning master figured the near death experience had given him courage and so he continued before it ran out. "I don't care if you want to paint her as some saint! She was a _bad_ mom, and you shouldn't have had to take care of her like that.

"And, I don't want to be like her, okay? I don't want to treat you badly, do things you don't deserve, and then just expect you to forgive me because I get stabbed for you- or bring you a slice of cake," Jay explained earnestly, trying to watch Cole's face for any hint as to what his inner thoughts were. "I want you to forgive me because you feel like I deserve it, not because you feel like you have to."

He reached out and grabbed Cole's arm, trying to impress the importance of what he was about to say on his brother.

"I am so sorry, Cole," Jay told him earnestly. "I should have told you about Nadakhan. I just- I just wanted to forget about it. I wanted to pretend it never happened, and that was so much easier when you guys didn't know… But, it was wrong, and you had every right to know. And, I know it was stupid to be jealous of Morro, but it's just… You're everything to me, and I was so scared of losing you that I… guess I ended up losing you."

Cole was silent, staring at the covers beneath his fingers.

Jay waited nervously for some- _any_ \- reaction from his brother and sort of wishing he had accepted the initial forgiveness rather than putting himself out there like that.

Then, Cole made a weird, high-pitched, little breathy inhale, and Jay knew that was the sound he made when he was trying not to cry.

"Cole?" Jay prompted softly, trying desperately to meet his brother's eyes. "It's okay." He reached a hand and laid it on Cole's arm once again. "I promise I'll be better, and I'll take care of you just like you always take care of me. I'll be a better brother."

And, then Cole was crushing Jay in a hug, the tears falling against Jay's shoulder making the pain of his stab wound bearable.

"You were never going to lose me, stupid," Cole told him through a shudder that was half a laugh and half a sob. "You can't get rid of me that easy."

Before Jay could even relish in the hug and the fact that Cole had really and truly _forgiven_ him-

There was a knock on the door.

Cole pulled away, wiping desperately at his eyes, as the door swung open and Anne poked her head in, a spaced out looking Zane over her shoulder.

"Get ready, you two," she told them, looking at them solemnly with her huge eyes. "The Bone Keeper wants to see you all. Apparently, you're going on a trip."

* * *

 **Yay! Jay and Cole have reconciled, Morro and Lloyd are on the same team... but what's in store for them now?!**

 **Also, please feel free to ask questions if you're still confused!**

 **Thank you all soooo much for reading and making me feel like I'm on top of the world! :D**


	23. No Ninja Left Behind

**Hello, everyone! Have you guys seen the first two episodes of Season 10 yet?! No spoilers here! (But, I don't think it is a spoiler to say I am very concerned about Cole's wellbeing ;-;)**

 **Also, WARNING! Now, as a general rule, I try to avoid explicitly putting cuss words in my stories, but no matter how I looked at it, it was unavoidable in this chapter. SO, there is *one* B-word in the chapter. I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but this story *is* rated T.**

 **Special thanks to: WindNinja333, FullMetalPon-3, Plumcicle, Revlis Charm, MightyShipper, Wolfjem, Katla1, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, Inimidesert, RandomDragon2.0, GameCubeGirl1, Peanu2196, aura-w, TheKittenQueen, TheYellowNinja, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, Angel Star Ninja, Rick Riordan1, PrairieSkies, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, and KyraPlays for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MghtyShipper: Aw, I'm sorry, but I'm glad I made you cry ^-^ Thank you soooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Yeah, the ghosts are *definitely* going about trying to get Morro back in the wrong way -_-; And, (obviously) I love Cole and Jay's relationship as well, so I'm glad you liked Jay's apology! I agree that Cole needed to hear that ;-; Thank you soooo much! :D**

 **JBomb217: Aw, thanks! My goal is t keep you guys interested with jam-packed drama! XD We'll find out what their deal is going to be this chapter ;D And, YES, Cole and Jay are the ultimate BroTP again! XD Haha, I'm sorry for making you wait! I genuinely hope you didn't explode XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: Cole and Jay have made up! AND, palpable tension!? That makes me so happy! Yeeeaah, that would probably also be weird for Jay, being in the same room as his own dead body O-o Yeah, at this point, Morro's relationship with the ghosts is pretty messed up XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Believe me, I LIVE for the cute moments, so I'm glad you love them too XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Gem is back and Wrayth is bad! Woohoo! XD Ooh, interesting! Do you have any particular movies in mind? ^-^ Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Zane barely acknowledged Cole and Jay as they joined him and Anne. It seemed like they had made up. That was good.

Jay was leaning heavily on Cole. He had been severely wounded. Cole was bearing several contusions. They were both hurting. More than he was.

They were led outside, the first time they had set foot outside since entering the mindscape. Even the desert looked beautiful after being kept inside- _in a lab, on a table, powered down, vulnerable_ \- so long.

There was a private jet parked there, and Jay and Cole oohed and aahed appropriately. The Bone Keeper was standing by with a no nonsense expression on his face, watching as the group of three ninja approached.

"Where are we going?" Jay asked as he and Cole gingerly made their way up the steps of the plane.

"Don't worry," the Bone Keeper said sinisterly, his trademark smile appearing on his face despite himself. "We won't be gone long."

Zane flinched. Shivered. Glitched. _Trembled. Panicked_ -

He felt safe only when they were in the back of the plane, in something like a cargo hold. Here, he was _away_. Here was not there.

He barely noticed when Kai and Nya joined them, but after he did, he saw they were both pale, exhausted-looking, as if they were recovering from some treacherous illness. But, they had made up too. That was good.

Each pair expressed surprise at the other's condition, and as the plane took off, Jay and Cole recounted the tale of Jay's bravery, and Kai and Nya shared an eerie yarn about a woman who wouldn't stop crying.

They were hurting. They needed help. They would need help to recover, and Zane would need to help them-

"It has to be Lloyd and Morro!" Kai decided, pounding his fist into his other hand. "Why else would the Bone Keeper leave his precious casino?"

"But, why would they force him to come to them?" Nya asked. "Why didn't they just come back to get us?"

"Maybe something happened and they can't," Cole suggested. "I just hope it's a good sign that he's taking us with him."

"Yeah, and I hope this means we're getting out for good," Jay added. "If we have to go back-"

" _No!_ "

Zane wasn't even aware he'd spoken out loud until all four of the others jumped and turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"Zane?" Nya asked. "What's wrong?"

He hadn't meant to cry out. He didn't want his siblings to be looking at him with such concern like they were now. But, Jay had said _go back_ and…

"I cannot go back."

Zane drew his knees up to his chest, making himself as small as possible in this cargo hold that was _safe_ , trying to avoid the gazes of the others.

"Yeah, Zane, none of us want to go back," Kai confirmed hesitantly, obviously unsure of how to react to his behavior. "But, whatever happens, we'll figure-"

"No, I cannot go back. I cannot go back," Zane insisted, hating the way he was losing control but unable to help it, unable to master himself, unable to do anything but curl up here in this safe cargo hold and hope to never leave.

"Zane, c'mon, talk to us, buddy," Jay said softly, sharing a look with the others. "What did they _do_ to you?"

Zane couldn't respond. He was a nindroid. He should be able to handle this and everything else thrown at him. The others needed help and he needed to help them because he was the nindroid and always needed to know what to do and he shouldn't feel so weak and helpless and _scared_ \- scared, _scared_ , he was so _scared_ -

"They took me _apart_."

He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

But, now he couldn't stop.

"They opened me up, and I saw all my parts scattered everywhere," Zane said quietly, hating the feeling of tears pushing at his eyes. "And, I know it does not sound as bad as having your human organs removed but it is the same for me. Even now I can feel their hands inside me, and I feel so _violated_ , and I am terrified that when I wake up, I will not be the same person as when I went to sleep."

The tears spilled down his titanium cheeks, and the juxtaposition of such a natural, biological function against his titanium face just somehow made him all the more ashamed, for the first time hating that he was neither fully human nor robot but something doomed to be forever miserably between.

He closed his eyes and let his forehead fall onto his knees, but even then he kept speaking. "Or, worse, that I will not wake up at all and simply cease to exist and then I am left wondering if perhaps that would be better than being forced to live forever and eventually left behind-"

"Woah, woah, woah, Zane. It's okay. It's okay, bro," Cole interrupted, his hand running up and down Zane's spine. It was warm and comforting and the most pleasant physical interaction he had had in several days. "Why didn't you _tell_ us what they were doing to you?"

Zane raised his head slightly but shut his eyes tight, shaking his head. "I… It is not… I can handle it."

"Yeah, _clearly_ ," Kai scoffed, scooting closer. "C'mon, Zane, this is what we're talking about. If you had told me they were _torturing_ you like that, I never would have let them take you. I don't care how long the Bone Keeper would have left me down there with the Weeping Woman."

Zane gaped but still shook his head slowly. "But… But, I am a nindroid. I should be able to handle it. I should be the one helping all of _you_. If I had been there to help Lloyd, then none of this-"

"Zane, _c'mon_ , is that what all of this is about?" Jay pleaded, grimacing as he shifted and strained his wound. "Yeah, you're a nindroid, but that doesn't mean that we expect more of you or something. It just means you're a… shiny human."

Zane blinked. "I do not follow."

"You're a _person_ , Zane," Cole reinforced, squeezing his shoulder. "A person that's allowed to feel all the same sadness and fear as anybody else and allowed to _talk_ to his brothers to try to feel better. You can't keep stuff like that all locked up inside."

"Like after your father died, Zane," Nya said gently, and Zane visibly flinched, the image of Dr. Julien lying so still in bed, so cold and pale and _still_ , so _still_ -

"You just kind of shut down after that," Nya continued softly. "You barely talked to us. You didn't let us even try to help you. And, now what's this about being left behind?"

Zane's gaze dropped to the floor. Oh, right. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"Zane," Cole said, running his hand down his brother's back once again. " _Please_. We're here for you."

"But, not always," Zane blurted, but it came out mostly as a sob and he was shaking and crying and- "I cannot die. I do not age. Every time we come here I am only reminded of how I will never see my father again and how all of you will be here eventually and yet I will still be there exactly the same as I am now and-"

"I get it." Zane gasped when Cole hugged him but still leaned his head against his brother's shoulder. He smelled faintly of blood and sweat, his usual earthy scent lingering just beneath that, and Zane breathed in deeply. "I _get_ it, okay? I thought all these same things when I was a ghost. But, you know what I kept telling myself? What _you_ guys told me?"

"Brother sharpens brother," Kai answered. "And, no ninja left behind."

"We're going to grow up, but so are you," Nya elaborated. "Maybe not physically, but you'll be right there with us. And, yeah, we're going to die, but when you want to get here, I can't imagine a better use for the Realm Crystal."

Tears were still running down Zane's face, but he was smiling. The ones he caught on his tongue tasted salty. It was completely illogical, smiling while crying, but somehow it made sense. It was a human thing, he supposed. A shiny human thing, maybe, but still a human thing.

"You know, my whole life I was always really focused on what made me different than everybody else. I was 'the junkyard kid' with no friends," Jay said, staring wistfully at the ceiling as he leaned his back against the wall. "But, we're the _same_ , Zane." He looked up, fixing the nindroid with a mock-annoyed expression. "And, I would have told you that a _lot_ sooner if you just opened your dumb mouth."

Zane couldn't help it- he laughed. He laughed long and hard, longer and harder and louder and _freer_ than he had in days- maybe than he had in his whole life. The others were laughing too, and it was like they were in the Destiny's Bounty, lounging on the living room floor after a particularly successful movie night.

Once the laughter died down, Kai pounded his fist on his leg. "No matter what happens, we're getting out of here. And, no matter what happens…,"

He fixed all of his siblings with a dead serious gaze, though the trademark cocky smirk betrayed his bravado, making him look more like himself than he had in weeks.

"We're in this together. No ninja left behind."

Zane, still grinning with the last of the laughter living in his chest, the laughter making a home for itself and pushing out the dirty feeling of the scientists prying at his insides, the laughter he hoped would never leave him again, nodded.

Mostly to himself, Zane said it again.

"No ninja left behind."

* * *

"I can't believe you, Morro," Wrayth groused from where he was seated on the floor of the castle foyer, leaning against his three companions. Although Bansha had informed them that the Bone Keeper was coming in his private jet- with all five ninja in tow as per the conditions of the meeting- it would still be some time before he arrived, so they had taken it upon themselves to relax in the meantime, safe in the knowledge that the Lost Souls wouldn't risk the ninja's lives by attacking them.

" _You_ can't believe _me_?" Morro repeated incredulously. He and Lloyd were also seated on the floor nearby, knowing that, surrounded by so many Lost Souls and as was suggested by their relaxed posture, the four thieves wouldn't try to escape. Gem leaned heavily against his arm, somewhat bored.

Morro continued crossly, "This whole time, you've been making a fool of me. 'Running into me' at the train station? Wanting to 'catch up' with me at the hotel? You were just trying to earn our trust. You were working for him the whole time." He shook his head in disgust but Lloyd could easily see the hurt simmering just beneath the surface. "I just can't believe how _stupid_ I was. About a lot of things, apparently."

The last part was muttered and said seemingly only for his own benefit, but Lloyd heard and looked at him sharply, raising an eyebrow.

"It was _for_ you, Morro!" Wrayth insisted, lurching forward out of anger and making both Lloyd and Morro- and, by extension, all the other Lost Souls- tense up. Wrayth rolled his eyes and relaxed once again to signal he wasn't making a break for it. "Man, being human really _has_ made you soft! You want to go back to Ninjago and be kicked around by everyone there?"

Wrayth scoffed, snapping, "You don't want to be the Green Ninja. You just want to be his _bitch_."

Morro was mid-lunge when Lloyd grabbed the back of his gi, yanking backward. "Stop, Morro!" Lloyd shouted as he planted Morro firmly on the ground again. "They'll hurt the others."

Morro was trembling with rage but didn't move to attack again.

"Good dog." Wrayth snickered, eliciting laughter from the others.

"That's _enough_ ," Lloyd snapped, and honestly, he startled himself with how intimidating he sounded.

He couldn't articulate the satisfaction he found in the way Wrayth recoiled if he _tried_.

Morro, similarly placated for the moment, turned his frustration on Gem instead, poking her in the cheek.

"Hey, wake up," he snapped at the dozing ghost. "If anybody should get to sleep here, it's me."

" _Now, wake up."_

Gem was complaining about being bored and playfully whining about Morro being "a big, fat meanie," but Lloyd's mind was still stuck on repeat, like a broken record, because something… _something_ about the way Morro said…

"Wait, wait, wait," Lloyd interrupted whatever nonsensical bickering was taking place now, because something was itching at his brain, picking at it, and it was like he could _almost_ remember… "Can you say that again?"

Morro looked at him in confusion. "Say what again?"

"The… The first thing you said to Gem."

"'Hey, wake up?'"

" _Listen up, Lloyd, because I'm only going to say this once," he said, shaking Lloyd to instill the importance of what he was about to say in him. "I know you want to be selfish right now, but I know you're going to make the right choice. I know, because you are good and kind and selfless and everything that I have ever wanted to be."_

 _Lloyd's green eyes were wide. "Morro."_

 _Morro released him, pushing him back slightly._

" _Now, wake up."_

Everything- his time in the mindscape, the alternate reality his mind had created for him where he was a normal kid with a normal life with normal, loving, _alive_ parents, selfishly resisting his brothers' and sister's pleas until they snapped him out of it, Morro's heartfelt confession- all of it came rushing back to Lloyd at once, filling in all the blank space between the explosion and waking up in the Bone Keeper's office.

Suddenly, and certainly without his permission, tears stung his eyes, and he hurriedly looked away.

"Woah, what's- are you okay?" Morro asked, appropriately surprised by Lloyd's reaction to what should have been an inoffensive phrase.

"Yeah," Lloyd replied, though he was still squeezing his eyes shut. He was mourning the world that had never been but _could_ have been, with no Green Ninja, no Overlord, no Mom he drove away or Dad he killed.

But, he was also being moved by the words his hurting siblings- the siblings that had risked absolutely _everything_ for him- had so earnestly said to him. The fact that Morro had told him he loved him before Lloyd had ever thought to say it to him.

"Yeah," he repeated honestly, finally averting the disaster that would have been crying right here and now, and offered Morro a broad smile. "I'm good."

Morro was still looking at Lloyd strangely, his concerns allayed if not his curiosity, but Lloyd was saved from further questioning by the arrival of one of the Lost Souls they had placed on watch.

"They're here!" He announced, and the humans and ghostly thieves all stood up, resuming their standoff position. "They're landing on the roof!"

Lloyd wrung his hands, barely able to stand the anticipation of seeing his siblings again bubbling in his stomach. Morro placed his hand on Gem's head, pulling her close against his leg, which she obediently grabbed onto.

The Bone Keeper entered first.

He had his trademark grin on his face, and he was accompanied by no less than ten bodyguards. Lloyd strained to see the other ninja, presumably coming after him.

Gem gasped and then immediately started tugging on Morro's pant leg. Morro tried to signal to her to stop, but she only began tugging more insistently. Finally, he huffed and bent down, and Lloyd could hear the sharp whisper of " _What?_ "

Gem, cupping her hands around Morro's ear, said something that caused him to start rather violently. He hurriedly whispered something back, and Gem immediately nodded and rushed out of the room.

In response to the unspoken question, Morro straightened and whispered Gem's urgent message to Lloyd.

The Green Ninja jumped. "Are you _sure_?"

But, Morro's response was interrupted by the entrance of the ninja.

Lloyd gasped in horror.

Jay was leaning heavily on Cole, the bloody rip in his blue gi revealing glaringly white gauze. Cole himself was almost unrecognizable beneath all the hideous facial bruising. Zane was staring at Dr. Julien with an almost childlike desperation Lloyd had never seen in him before. Kai and Nya were hovering close together, jumpy and… _scared_ , words he would never associate with the fiercely courageous siblings.

They came and stood quietly by the Bone Keeper.

They weren't chained, but one could clearly see they were prisoners all the same.

Their eyes did light up when they landed on Lloyd and Morro though, and the Green Ninja wanted nothing more than to rush into his siblings' arms and be told this was all a bad dream.

Morro give him a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder, though, and instead of focusing his longing on his siblings, he focused his loathing on the Bone Keeper.

"A trade," Lloyd announced without preamble, his voice like steel. "We'll let your 'employees'- and your Soul Stone- go if you give us all of _their_ Soul Stones." Here, he nodded at the ninja.

The Bone Keeper, looking as comfortable and in control in the castle foyer as he did in his casino office, crossed his arms.

"Five Soul Stones for one?" The Bone Keeper shook his head. "That hardly seems fair."

"It seems a little more fair when it's _your_ Soul Stone we're talking about," Morro snapped. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"I'm the one trying to make this easier." The Bone Keeper insisted. "A Soul Stone for a Soul Stone. Pick your favorite ninja and that's the one I will return to you in exchange for my Soul Stone."

The imprisoned ninja looked up in alarm, sharing wide-eyed looks with each other.

Lloyd grit his teeth. " _All_ of them."

"Now you're just being unreasonable."

"Your Soul Stone plus your 'employees,'" Morro pointed out, gesturing to Wrayth and the others in the center of their Lost Soul army. "That's five for five. That's a fair deal."

"An employee is worth a brother? Well, at least we know your position on the matter, Morro."

The wind master's expression darkened, and Lloyd was reminded of the time Gem was being held prisoner by Chen and the other villains intent on stealing the Yin Blade-

Suddenly, Lloyd remembered what Gem had said, the message Morro had delivered to him-

And, he got an idea.

"Fine, if you don't want to make a deal," Lloyd smirked. "Then, how about a bet?"

Morro glanced at Lloyd in alarm but stopped short of protesting.

The Bone Keeper's grin only grew more snake-like in response. "A bet? Well, Green Ninja, _now_ you've peaked my interest. What is it that you propose?"

"You send the seven us back into the mindscape- on one condition," Lloyd pointed at the Bone Keeper. "You're there too."

He shrugged. "And, whoever gives up first loses."

The Bone Keeper chuckled. "You do realize that _I_ control the mindscape, don't you?"

Lloyd did realize that; he could hear the warnings of Morro, Garmadon, and all the other ninja in his head as clearly as if they were blasting them in his ear with a megaphone. He knew he was giving himself a huge handicap by giving the unshakeable Bone Keeper a home field advantage.

But, he had one trick up his sleeve. And, no matter how terribly the odds were against them, that was enough for him to bet on.

He couldn't pick one sibling over another. No matter what, it was no ninja left behind.

"Yes," Lloyd replied steadfastly. "So, you should have no reason to refuse."

"Except it doesn't change the fact that I am putting much more at risk than you are." The Bone Keeper pointed out, squinting at Lloyd suspiciously as if guessing the Green Ninja knew something he didn't.

Lloyd glanced uncertainly at Morro, who gave a shrug as if to say " _it's up to you._ "

Lloyd sighed. "If we win, we get all five ninja back. If you win, you keep them, get your Soul Stone…," Lloyd took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves buzzing in his chest. "And, mine."

" _Lloyd_ ," Garmadon, who had promised to let Lloyd take the lead on this, snapped before he could stop himself. The other ninja were also sending him alarmed, subtle head shakes, but Lloyd pretended not to see them.

"And mine."

Lloyd looked at Morro in shock. The wind master smiled and nodded at him.

He understood. He understood that it didn't matter if Lloyd and Morro could go back home if the others couldn't. Even if they did lose this bet, it was preferable to be imprisoned together than to be free apart.

The Bone Keeper's grin somehow grew wider.

"We agree on the terms then. The eight of us travel into the mindscape until either I or any of you surrender, and the winning team gets all of the participants' Soul Stones." The Bone Keeper turned to the currently enslaved ninja. "Of course, I'll need consent from our other players in order to enter their minds."

Cole, Jay, Kai, Zane, and Nya all shared meaningful looks with each other. There seemed to be some unspoken debate going on in their eyes, arguments being made and refuted and countered.

Until, finally, they seemed to reach a consensus.

Kai grinned at Lloyd across the room before turning to the Bone Keeper. "We're in."

Before Garmadon or any of the other parents could argue, the Bone Keeper snapped his fingers.

* * *

 **YES! We are going BACK into the mindscape! It's the Bone Keeper's game board, but Lloyd *seems* to have a plan...**

 **I hope all of you have an absolutely wonderful day! :D**


	24. You Are Not Alone

**UUUUGGGGHHH, I AM SOOOO SORRY I AM SO LATE! This semester is turning out to be just as busy as last semester -_-;**

 **But, hey, at least we're closer to the next update... right...? ^-^;**

 **I got a lot of really, REALLY nice reviews last chapter, and I PROMISE I am going to respond to every single one! All of these super kind words mean to the world to me, everyone! I cannot DESCRIBE how much all your reviews mean to me! Thank you SOOO much! :D**

 **Special thanks to: KyraPlays, Revlis Charm, Inimidesert, WindNinja333, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, GameCubeGirl1, FullMetalPon-3, Plumcicle, Katla1, Peanut2196, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, Andrea Lundgaard Miller, Fxreflies, RandomDragon2.0, Angel Star Ninja, JBomb217, ColeLoverGirl, NoNames, TheYellowNinja, MightyShipper, Momomomo, Rick Riordan1, TheKittenQueen, Star, Persephone, and FlightOfTheFury for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Zane needs to be protected! He's just so innocent and pure ;-; Thank you so much for reviewing! XD**

 **JBomb217: ZANE! You have SUPPORT! ;-; It basically means that the eight of them are going to stay in the mindscape until one of them (either one of the ninja or the Bone Keeper) says out loud "I give up." I think it will be a little more clear this chapter, but please let me know if you're still confused! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **ColeLoverGirl: EXACTLY! Lloyd's HEROES are being TORTURED, and he's going to do whatever he has to to stop it! ;-; I know! XD Cole is just... completely clueless -_-; Aw, thank you so much! :D**

 **NoNames: Aw, that's so sweet! XD Ah, yes- with Jay's whole jealousy thing, I think Cole was more upset that Jay was HIDING the fact that he was jealous and being more or less passive aggressive rather than just telling Cole the truth, and also that Cole didn't think Jay was doing enough to make Morro feel included :/ But, yes, I think you're right about Cole needing to apologize too- buuut, I also think Cole taking care of him and immediately forgiving and then the hug they shared also said everything that needed to be said between them. I think that's also the mark of a great friendship: knowing things without them having to be said :D But, I totally see where you're coming from, and I'm sorry that that chapter was not satisfying to you! I hope you still enjoy the rest of the story! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Haha, I'm glad I can still somewhat surprise you after you've read so many of my stories XD It was heart-wrenching to write Zane's scene, but I also think he needed that release ;-; And, I think you're *definitely* right about the ninja needing their closeness for what's to come! ;D And, um, YEAH I've seen the Season 10 episodes! I promised not to put any spoliers here, but... ;-; ;-; ;-; Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **MightyShipper: Yay! Tears of any kind in response to my stories make me EXTREMELY happy! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Momomomo: Wow. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this LOVELY, LOVELY review! :D I mean, you just made my entire YEAR and I feel all warm inside when I read it. :3 Please don't feel pressured to give anything back to me- this review is way more than enough :D I just... can't even put into words how happy you made me with this review :D Thank you so much :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Haha, I'm glad you liked the shiny human part XD Yep, and you DON'T want to mess with Lloyd when he's got a plan! XD Haha, that is such a cute idea! And, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Zane's and Nya's Five Times! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Star: Aw, no problem! I'm glad you've rediscovered it! Ooh, very good idea! We'll see ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Persephone: Ah, no worries, I think you're probably right. Like I said to NoNames, though, I also felt like the apology scene went both ways. By the time they hugged, Jay and Cole were on the same page again and totally understood each other- because in that kind of friendship, you just kind of *get* each other like that :3 But, I completely understand your dissatisfaction, and I'm sorry! I hope that hasn't ruined the rest of the story for you! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

The ninja were in a plain stone room.

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the newfound dimness. But once those eyes were able to focus on each other in the gloom, the ninja were immediately gathered together in the center of the room, touching one another, reassuring one another, finding one another after being apart- in more ways than one- for so long.

"Lloyd." Kai said his name as if it were a breath he had been holding for months, since the day Lloyd fell into a coma, as he pulled his baby brother into a hug and pressed his face into that golden blond hair. " _Lloyd_."

"You guys-" Lloyd's voice caught in his throat, and he had to press his face into Kai's shoulder hard to stop himself from bawling as pathetically as he had on the first night he had woken up. "You guys are… are so _dumb._ "

"Yeah," Kai agreed, nodding against Lloyd's head. "But, so are you."

"I hate to be the one to break up the moment," Morro stated. "But, does anybody else hear that sound?"

Kai and Lloyd pulled apart, the rest of the ninja fell silent. Sure enough, there was a sound like that of rustling paper... or the tapping of a million little feet.

Jay screamed, jerking his arm wildly as if trying to get something off of him.

" _Spiders_!"

The ninja looked down to see a huge, writhing mass of _black_ blanketing the floor, a seemingly infinite number of spiders all climbing over each other.

The weird thing was…. they all seemed to be heading directly for Jay.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Jay whispered to himself as he backed up, away from the angrily churning ocean of spiders. He kept backing up until his back hit the stone wall, and even then his feet slid uselessly against the floor as if that would make it possible for him to phase through the wall. "No, no, no, no!"

Only then did they realize that Jay no longer had his stomach wound, and Cole's face was completely clear of the bruises he'd had before. Here in the mindscape, they left they're bodily weaknesses behind.

But, here in the mindscape, their mental weaknesses were given free reign.

"This is not real, Jay!" Zane told his brother, grabbing the blue ninja's arm. "The Bone Keeper is using your fear against you!"

Jay nodded slowly, like he understood, but his blue eyes were still wide, fixated on the living black blanket inching ever closer. The other ninja were backing away as well, whereas Kai was stomping on as many spiders as he could- and yet, there were always more to take the place of their fallen comrades.

And then, suddenly, the spiders retreated. They fell still, as if simultaneously turning to stone, and then… turned around and left.

"Was that it?" Nya asked the room as a whole. "Was that all the Bone Keeper-"

Then Jay let out another blood-curdling scream as two long, slender spider legs emerged from the shadows, followed by a giant spider's head. The Tiger Widow towered over them at fifteen feet tall, but they could see the dim light reflecting off her numerous black eyes easily.

She screeched, heading directly for Jay.

The blue ninja ducked, not even thinking to use his lightning, not even thinking to do Spinjitzu, not even thinking to _run_ \- just uselessly threw his hands over his head and crouched down, rolling over and deciding to take the beating just like he had every time he'd ever faced his bullies-

But, the bite of her fangs never came. The sting of her venom never came.

Jay hesitantly opened one eye… to see the Tiger Widow only about a foot away from him, scrabbling for purchase as she struggled to reach him. Something was holding her back, though.

Peering beneath her bulbous body, Jay saw… Cole.

Cole, with both fists locked around her huge, hairy leg. Cole, digging his heels into the ground, throwing all his super strength into keeping her away from him.

And, suddenly Jay wasn't afraid anymore.

Jay was able to reach out and grab Zane's and Nya's arms in a death grip and smile a huge smile right into the Tiger Widow's face, because Cole was there, protecting him like they hadn't lost a beat.

The Tiger Widow straightened suddenly, as if Jay's sudden lack of fear was a personal affront to her. As if recognizing Cole as the obstacle to Jay, she suddenly twisted her body, screeching yet again as she aimed to bite Cole as the others called out a warning-

Cole's brown eyes widened before he dropped to the floor-

And, the Tiger Widow passed right over him. Disappeared back into the shadows as easily as she had come. And, somehow, the room was empty again.

Hesitantly, Cole looked up. Jay ran and crouched down next to him, hugging his neck so tightly, Cole gasped for breath.

"I'm okay, Jay," the black ninja laughed. "You know I've got you, bro."

"Okay," Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh… okay. That was freaky, but we're okay."

"The Bone Keeper must be using our worst fears against us," Zane concluded. "To force us to concede the bet."

"He's trying to scare us so bad that we give up?" Kai reiterated, planting his fists on his hips. "Not likely."

"It also means that he's just getting started," Nya pointed out. "So, we need to prepare for whoever's next-"

Morro suddenly gasped a ragged breath of air, staggering as he stumbled against the wall and pressing both hands to his stomach. In the second the rest of the ninja had looked at Morro in concern and back, the room had suddenly shifted without any of them noticing- instead of a bare stone room, they were in a cave, illuminated by a bed of lava in the center of the cavern.

"Morro, what's-"

Zane stopped when Morro pressed his hand against the wall to try to keep his balance before sinking weakly to the ground.

His fingers left a trail of blood down the wall.

"Morro!" Kai shouted, rushing over to their brother's side. He started prying at the wind master's hands clamped in a death grip around his midsection- to reveal a gradually growing bloodstain on the front of his gi. "What- what happened?!"

"I… I-" Morro cut himself off and hissed in pain when Zane pressed both hands against the wound. "Died. This is where…"

The four original ninja took another glance around the cave and were finally able to put their fingers on why this particular cave looked oddly familiar- it was the Caves of Despair, where Morro had sent them in an attempt to get rid of them… and where they had found his corpse.

"Dying?" Cole asked, kneeling on the ground beside Zane and squeezing Morro's upper arm for support. "That's your greatest fear?"

Morro only closed his eyes in response, his face drawn with pain as he lost any color he had in his pale skin.

"Zane, _do_ something!" Kai demanded. "He's- he's dying!"

"This… well, this is not Morro's real body, remember? This is only a visual representation of his mind."

"And, if he dies in the mindscape? What happens to him them?"

Zane stared at Kai for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "I do not know."

"What, so the only way we can stop Morro from dying is to give up and get out of the mindscape?" Nya asked. "That's- That's cheating!"

"No, no, it's not the only way," Jay spoke up. "Remember? The spiders just went away for me."

"How?" Kai snapped.

"I… Well, I knew Cole was going to protect me no matter what, and… I wasn't afraid anymore." The blue ninja gasped excitedly, pounding his fist into his other hand. "That's it! That's how we beat this! We have to _overcome_ our fears!"

Nya leaned closer to Morro's face, stroking his black hair away from his face. "Morro, listen to me. You don't have to be afraid. You're going to be just fine, okay? You are not dying any time soon."

Morro opened his eyes, but they were unfocused. Far away. His breath was coming in short, little gasps, his chest heaving erratically.

"Morro, listen to me," Lloyd commanded, clasping Morro's hand in both of his own. "You are not alone. Not anymore."

The other ninja straightened, blinking in confusion, before it dawned on them.

Morro wasn't afraid of dying.

He was afraid of dying alone.

"And, you're never going to be alone again," Lloyd continued, holding Morro's hand close to his chest. "What I said to you? When Ghoultar was holding me? I meant it. I _meant_ it."

Morro closed his eyes again.

And, then the floor fell away from underneath them.

The ninja screamed as they fell through the air, the Caves of Despair shrinking above them until it became nothing but a little brown speck-

And, then they hit the ground hard. If they hadn't been in the mindscape where there were very few rules, they were positive there would have been several broken bones among them.

Lloyd was by Morro's side before he'd even taken stock of his surroundings- but the wound was gone. After peering down at himself in wonder, Morro met Lloyd's eyes and nodded.

Lloyd nodded back.

Knowing that Morro would not want any more comfort than that about his fear, the rest of the ninja surveyed their surroundings. It was completely dark, and just as Kai was going to ask which one of them was afraid of the dark-

The lights came on.

And, they were _bright_.

Suddenly, they saw they were on a _stage_ , spotlights shining directly on them. Although there were no detailed shapes, there was clearly an audience in front of them, waiting. For something.

"C'mon, guys," Nya called, pointing at the curtains by the side of the stage. "Let's try to find a way out of here."

All of the ninja moved… except Cole.

Jay, after sharing a look with the others, doubled back and joined his best friend, who was frozen, staring with wide eyes out at the dark, indistinguishable faces of the audience.

"Cole," Jay said softly, grabbing the black ninja's muscular arm. "Stage fright?"

Cole nodded very slowly, as if he were dreaming. "I'm supposed to sing." He closed his eyes, and Jay could feel his arm trembling beneath his grip. "That's how I'm supposed to overcome my fear, right? I mean, we're not going to get out of here any other way, are we?"

Jay tightened his grip on Cole's arm. "You can do it, bro. Just a few notes. Just a few notes and then we'll get out of here."

Cole took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to sing… and then it let it out slowly, like a deflating balloon. "I… can't. I'm gonna screw it up, Jay. And, you know the Bone Keeper will probably have my dad be here, and I can't- I can't sing in front of my _dad_ …"

Jay was just about to offer some more encouragement… when he got an idea.

Cole always protected him.

Now, it was time for Jay to protect him.

" _They saaay… go sloooow_ …"

The rest of the ninja looked at Jay like he was crazy for singing- after all _Cole_ was the one who was supposed to sing, not Jay. (And, besides, Jay was not very good at it.)

And, _then_ , they got it.

" _And, everything just stands so still_ ," Zane, Nya, Kai, and Lloyd sang the next line along with Jay as Cole turned to look at them, a half-touched, half-amused smile on his face. " _We saaaay, go, go! You're gonna see us rip into it!_ "

"C'mon, Morro!" Kai snapped, punching the wind master in the arm.

"I don't know the words!" Morro protested.

As all the ninja took a deep breath in order to launch into the chorus, Cole joined in.

" _We just jump up, kick back, whip around, and spiiin! And then we jump back, do it again! Ninja! Go! Ninja! G-"_

Before they could continue the song- there was a far off rumbling sound. "The Weekend Whip" trailed off rather pathetically as all the ninja cocked their heads in an attempt to identify the sound.

"What's-"

Before Lloyd could finish the question, a giant wave of water poured in from the audience, slamming into all the ninja like a brick wall and sweeping them right off the stage. Although there had been a wall behind them before, now the tidal wave kept right on flowing, picking up speed as it rushed down hill.

Nya was the first to surface, able to use her elemental powers to help her stay afloat. Gasping for air, she turned in all directions as the wave kept boring her forward, searching for any of her siblings, but one in particular. Because they all knew exactly whose fear this was.

One by one, the rest of the ninja's heads broke the surface and gasped for air, drifting closer to each other and grabbing hold in order not to be separated by the current again. Zane, Cole, Jay, Lloyd, Morro…

"Where's Kai?!" Lloyd demanded, having to shout over the roar of the wave.

Nya didn't hesitate.

She pried off Zane's and Jay's death grips on her gi, and, deaf to their protests, she dove beneath the surface.

She used her elemental powers to help propel her through the water, eyes darting from place to place as she searched for any glimpse of red…

 _There_!

Her lungs were burning, arms pumping as she swam further and further down toward Kai, who was barely conscious as far she could tell. She needed to go back up for air, but then she wouldn't reach him in time.

She _could_ give up. If she surrendered, the Bone Keeper would slam all of them back into their bodies, and she wouldn't have to watch Kai die…

Nya frowned, forcing her arms to go faster. Kai would never forgive her if she gave up. And, she would never forgive herself if he died, mindscape or no mindscape.

Finally, _finally_ , her arms wrapped around Kai's chest. She used her elemental powers to jet them to the surface, praying, praying, _praying_ that she wasn't too late-

Their heads broke the surface, and hands were immediately grabbing onto them, pulling their exhausted bodies close and keeping them afloat.

Nya shook Kai's limp form in Cole's grasp. He wasn't breathing.

He wasn't _breathing_.

"Kai!" She yelled, shaking him harder. " _Kai_!"

The red ninja lurched forward, coughing up mouthful after mouthful of water.

"Kai," Nya repeated, more gently this time.

"Hold onto me, bro," Cole told his brother, and Kai gratefully wound his arms around Cole's neck, resting his head against Cole's back as if he didn't have the strength to hold it up anymore.

But, he offered Nya a weak smile. And, in that smile, she didn't see fear. Because he knew Nya would never let him drown. Maybe he hadn't known it then, not after she had yelled at him, _lied_ to him, but she had gone Downstairs for Kai, subjected herself to the Weeping Woman for Kai. She would do anything for Kai, and where there was doubt before, there was certainty in the fire ninja's eyes now, burning as brightly as his element did.

"Not to alarm anyone," Zane prefaced, which alarmed _everyone_. "But, we are rapidly approaching a-"

" _Waterfall!_ " Jay shrieked, uselessly using one hand to try to paddle away from the cliff the wave was sweeping them off of. The ninja scrambled to find purchase, but there was no end to the water in sight, and the edge was too close-

The ninja screamed as they went toppling over the side, plummeting toward the ground at breakneck speed.

At the last second, both of Cole's hands slammed into a pole or beam of some sort that was sticking straight out of the waterfall. It was too convenient- it had to be a trap, planted here by the Bone Keeper- but he was too relieved to worry about the consequences at the moment.

Kai's arms were still around Cole's neck, and Jay clamped so tightly around Cole's waist that an octopus would be jealous. Morro managed to snag Jay's ankle with one hand and grab Nya's with the other, so the water ninja was hanging upside down.

Zane and Lloyd were still falling- until Nya swung and barely manage to grab Zane's hand and Lloyd's ankle, nearly ripping both her arms out of their sockets.

The ninja were silent for a moment, breathing heavily as they tried to process their current predicament.

"Now what?" Cole called down to the rest of the ninja weighing him down, hoping they could hear him over the roar of the water still cascading down around them.

"Nothing's happened without a reason!" Lloyd shouted back, just barely able to see Cole from where he was hanging upside down from the bottom of the ninja chain. "This has to be someone's fear!"

"Well, you three are the only ones left!" Jay yelled, peering down at Lloyd- then he immediately got dizzy as he saw the mile long drop waiting for them and pressed his face into Cole's stomach once again. "Who's afraid of falling to their doom and landing in a watery grave? Oh, that's right, _every sane person in existence_!"

"You are right, Jay!" Zane surprisingly agreed. "I do not think it is about falling." The nindroid turned slightly to peer into Nya's face, smiling gently. "I think it is about failing."

Nya bit her lip. She'd already suspected what this trial was, but she hadn't wanted to admit it. She hadn't wanted to even _suggest_ it.

"What do you…" Lloyd followed Zane's gaze to Nya, and he trailed off as realization dawned on him. "Oh."

He looked down at the seemingly endless abyss that the waterfall was falling into and then back up at his sister. He tried to offer a reassuring smile and hoped it appeared encouraging enough.

"You have to let us go, Nya," Lloyd told her.

"No!" Kai shouted from near the top of the chain. "There's got to be another way!"

"We know what the other way is," Cole replied. "Giving up. And, we can't do that."

"We're not going to die, Nya," Lloyd said, sounding stronger than he felt. "We'll be okay."

"I can't live without you two," Nya said quietly, so only the two ninja below her heard.

"You won't have to," Lloyd said firmly.

"No matter what, we will meet again," Zane said, echoing the very same things the other ninja had told him to allay his fears of being forced to go on living without his family. He smiled.

"Now, let go."

Nya shut her eyes tight.

She let go.

Zane and Lloyd couldn't help but scream as they went tumbling into the darkness.

* * *

 **So, the Bone Keeper is putting all the ninja through their greatest fears to force them to give up, but he himself has yet to make an appearance... Hm... We'll see if Lloyd and Zane survived the fall next chapter! XD**

 **I really hope you guys liked the chapter (despite its tardiness -_-) I love you all! :D**


	25. The Pain You've Caused

**I AM SO SORRY ONCE AGAIN FOR BEING LATE! I've been trying to get this book report done, and just... ugh ;-; (But, the story IS finished, so no there's no chance of me ghosting on you guys! This thing is getting finished whether it likes it or not!) And, once again, these reviews I've been getting recently are just... They just mean so much to me, I couldn't even describe the feeling :3 Thank you all so much for taking the time to let me know that my efforts are appreciated :D NEVER think you are wasting your time when review- I cherish every single one and I WILL respond to you to thank you personally (no matter how long it takes ;-;))**

 **Honestly, I am... really, really nervous about this chapter :/ But, I REALLY hope you guys like it!**

 **Also, WARNING! This chapter is VERY dark and violent. If you would like me to warn you more explicitly about the contents of this chapter, PM me! Otherwise, read at your own risk.**

 **Special thanks to: Ebony umbreon, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, RandomDragon2.0, GwenBrightly, KyraPlays, NaninaDaPanda, Inimidesert, agent. pebble, GameCubeGirl1, FullMetalPon-3, Katla1, TheKittenQueen, Plumcicle, Revlis Charm, GalacticD0nuts, Andrea Lundgaard Miller, MightyShipper, Wolfjem, WindNinja333, Tails FT Foxy, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, TheYellowNinja, JBomb217, SpiritDragon, Rick Riordan1, RandomIsCJ, GlaceonSnow, FlightOfTheFury, and Anonymous for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Haha, I'm so glad you found the chapter adorable! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: YES! The trust is back and everyone is needing to rely on each other once again! :D "Incredibly perfect?!" Thank you so so so much for all your kind words! Your reviews just really mean the world to me! :D Thanks, and I hope you're doing okay in school too! Episode 97 and 98... ;-; Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Aw, that's so sweet! Thank you so much! Haha, we'll see if they survived... ;D Thank you so much for reviewing (twice!) :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Haha, yep, the Bone Keeper DEFINITELY knows who he's dealing with! XD You never have to apologize for not reviewing! I hope you're feeling better now! Haha, no worries, I'm more excited for the fluff and the angst too ;D Thank you sooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: Oh my gosh, you screaming just means so much to me! XD Woah, I didn't even notice it was a LITERAL cliffhanger! XD I am SOOO ecstatic that you loved the chapter so much! :D Oh man, working on Season 11 of Ninjago? Talk about a dream come true! XD Thank you sooooooo much! :D**

 **Anonymous: Ooh, good idea! We'll start with Zane this chapter! ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

When Zane opened his eyes, he was on his back, staring directly into a bright, white light. He turned, hoping to find Lloyd beside him- and in doing so he discovered that his arms and legs were bound to the cot he was lying on.

Just like in Anne's lab.

Chest already heaving despite himself, he moved to tear the belts off his wrists, bucking and kicking and jerking his limbs in an effort to free himself- but it was useless. If he hadn't been able to break free from that lab in the real world, there was no way he would be able to escape here in the mindscape where the whole purpose was to trap him here.

Lying still, Zane began surveying the room. It looked exactly like Anne's lab, right down to the last screwdriver and pair of pliers on the nearby tray, save the fact that it was empty. How was he supposed to overcome his fear? Allow himself to be experimented on? As if he had a choice.

"Does anybody see them?"

"They can't just be _gone_. And, we know they didn't give up since we're still in here."

Zane gasped when he heard the other ninja's voices. Lifting his head as much as he could, he saw that the wall at his feet was in actuality a window. It was facing a bare stone room with the rest of the ninja, sans Lloyd, wandering aimlessly in its interior. They were dry, as if they had never been submerged in a tidal wave, and shaky, trembling relief flooded him once he saw that they were uninjured.

"Cole! Kai! Jay!" He called, frowning when no one responded. Fine, maybe the glass was too thick to hear him, but why couldn't they _see_ him? Nya, after all, was standing _directly_ in front of the window, studying it in consternation as if…

Zane let his head fall back against the cot once he realized it was a _one way_ window: he could see them but they could not see him.

"What is the point of this trial, Bone Keeper?" Zane demanded of the empty room. "If there is no one here to operate on me, then how am I supposed to overcome my fear?"

No one responded. Zane hadn't expected the Bone Keeper would, but he clenched his bound fists by his sides.

This was ridiculous. He couldn't lie here trapped like this. Lloyd had fallen too- what if he was hurt? All of this had been for him, so if he was hurt… if getting injured in the mindscape somehow plunged his physical body back into the coma that they had risked _everything_ to rescue him from…

"They _need_ me!" Zane shouted, as if that would move the Bone Keeper to release him. He could hear the other ninja arguing in the adjacent room- if he wasn't there to play peacekeeper, if he wasn't there to rattle off knowledge and statistics, if they _gave up_ in order just to escape that room…

"I need to help them!" Zane reiterated, yanking uselessly against his restraints once again. "I can't- I need to get to them…"

Over and over again, he jerked his arms. Logically, he thought that if he put enough sustained strain on the belts, they would eventually weaken and snap- and then he remembered that this was the mindscape. The belts would never break if the Bone Keeper didn't want them to.

"You can't- I don't know what to _do_!" Zane shouted at the empty lab, slamming his head back into the cot in a demonstration of frustration- and he had the fleeting notion to admit defeat simply not to be so utterly _useless_ here anymore. "They need help…"

The nindroid trailed off.

He suddenly recalled the jet flight to Gem's castle.

" _Yeah, you're a nindroid, but that doesn't mean that we expect more of you or something. It just means you're a… shiny human."_

" _We're the_ same _, Zane."_

" _Brother sharpens brother. And, no ninja left behind."_

" _You're a_ person _, Zane. A person that's allowed to feel all the same sadness and fear as anybody else and allowed to_ talk _to his brothers to try to feel better."_

Zane's greatest fear was not being dissected.

" _I_ need help."

There was various noises of surprise from the adjoining room.

"Did you guys hear that?"

"Zane?! Was that you, bro?!"

"Yes, brothers!" He called back, entire body slackening with joy like someone who'd just finished sprinting a marathon. "Please, I am trapped!"

"We're coming, Zane!"

"Keep talking so we know where you are!"

"I am strapped to an operating table. There are tools and wires and switches and-" Words were pouring out of his mouth, as if his mind had recorded every single thing he'd wanted to say when he'd been in Anne's lab, as if being saved now would save him _then_ , as if that past Zane could finally just admit to his brothers…

"And, I am _scared_."

And, that admission, that white flag Zane was waving at himself in order to form a truce between the nindroid and human halves of him, was met with the sound of shattering glass.

"Zane!"

"Oh, geez, this is _sick,_ Bone Keeper!"

"Don't worry, bro, we'll get you out of here in no time."

"We got you, Zane."

And, in being transferred from the strangling hold of leather belts to equally as strong arms, holding him as if they could erect a wall around him, he had never felt more free.

* * *

"Hello?" Lloyd called as he wandered down the hall of a… rather comfortable looking little house. It looked vaguely familiar, though he was positive he had never stepped foot in such an abode. It most closely resembled one he spent long, sleepless nights imagining at Darkley's for him and his mom and dad to live in, if his mom hadn't left and his dad hadn't-

And, that's when Lloyd put his finger on exactly where he had seen the house. It was where his mind had retreated to once he had been put into a coma. It's where the other ninja had found him after their trek through the mindscape, and where they jogged his memory.

As he realized this, his feet loyally continued to carry him down the hall and toward the kitchen. Every detail was impeccable, from framed photos of himself and his parents to a coat rack- something as mundane as a _coat rack_!

"Nice of you to finally show up."

Lloyd jumped at his mother's voice just as he passed the kitchen's threshold. Misako was pulling a pan of rolls out of the oven, where they had baked to a perfect golden brown.

"Dinner's ready, and your father's already set the table."

Lloyd blinked as if he had no idea what a table was.

Because, this didn't make any sense. If he was supposed to be overcoming his worst _fear_ , then why was he… here? In a flawless alternate reality with everything he ever wanted?

"Lloyd?"

It was Garmadon, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. "Are you coming, son?"

"What's the catch?" Lloyd demanded, trying to stamp down the rush of affection he felt at seeing his father and replace it with distrust of the Bone Keeper's illusions.

"Catch?" Garmadon repeated. "You have a second chance at your perfect world, Lloyd. I don't see any kind of catch in that."

"No…," Lloyd mumbled, shaking his head as if he could throw off the confusion that way. "I'm supposed to be facing a _fear_ …, aren't I?"

"No, Lloyd," Misako replied, setting the pan down on the stove top and removing her oven mitts. "There _is_ no fear here. Here, you never have to be worried about being alone again."

Oh.

"We'll be a _family_ ," Garmadon insisted, coming up to Lloyd and grasping his shoulder with that somehow strong and yet also gentle grasp that he reserved specially for this son. "And, we will _never_ leave you again. You don't have to be afraid of being alone, Lloyd."

An all-consuming sigh ran throughout the length of Lloyd's body, tears actually springing to his eyes at the domesticity, the normalcy and _safety_ that pervaded the scene.

Impulsively, he lunged forward, hugging his good, _alive_ father. He knew it wasn't really Garmadon, but the Bone Keeper certainly made a convincing replica, nailing every detail perfectly, down to the long white scar trailing along his father's jaw one could only see from below.

"I am afraid of being alone," Lloyd admitted, squeezing the illusion as if admitting the fear would suddenly make it a reality. "But, I'm not alone. And, I never will be. Because what me and the other ninja have, what me and my dad have… It's _inside_ me. It's _mine_."

Lloyd pulled away from Garmadon then.

Determination hardened his green eyes.

"And, nothing you say or do can ever take it away, Bone Keeper."

* * *

Lloyd blinked, and suddenly he was in an uncomfortably tiny room with all the other ninja.

"Lloyd!" Kai shouted, crushing the Green Ninja in a hug. "You're okay!"

"Stop scaring us like that!" Jay ordered, crossing his arms as if Lloyd being dropped off a waterfall was a personal affront to him.

"Congratulations."

The ninja turned as one to see the Bone Keeper standing in front of one of the six doors bordering the room, his arms calmly folded behind his back. His grin was firmly in place, as if the ninja overcoming each of their greatest fears had been part of his plan all along.

"Alright, Bone Keeper. We survived everything you put us through. You lose." Cole stated.

"On the contrary," the blue ghost replied jovially. "I still control the mindscape. Now that I've fulfilled my part of the agreement in appearing in the mindscape with the seven of you, I can put you though much more than what I already have. After all, I have a vast assortment of traumatic memories to choose from. Or perhaps more fears would suit you, like watching each other get torn apart and be helpless to stop it."

Chuckling at the ninja's stricken expressions, the Bone Keeper continued. "In short, I assure you that my stamina will long outlast yours, and so continuing to put yourselves through such emotional turmoil would be futile. I suggest you concede now."

Nya scoffed. "Yeah, right."

The Bone Keeper clucked his tongue. He lifted his arm and prepared to snap his fingers-

"Wait!" Lloyd shouted. "What about you?"

The Bone Keeper looked back at the Green Ninja calmly. "What about me?"

"It's your turn," Lloyd offered, as if it were obvious. The rest of the ninja were sharing subtly uncertain expressions with each other, all except for Morro. "After all, I think it's only fair that we get to see what happened to your daughter."

The Bone Keeper's grin dropped. "How did you-"

"Did you kill her?" Lloyd demanded, refusing to let the Bone Keeper have time to regain the eloquence he always so confidently weaponized. "Or just abandon her?"

The ghost narrowed his eyes. "You have no idea what you are-"

"And, what about the Weeping Woman?" Nya asked, catching onto Lloyd's drift to knock the Bone Keeper off balance. "Was she your wife? Did you kill her too?"

The Bone Keeper huffed in fury, raising his hand to snap once again. "You insolent-"

Cole and Kai simultaneously rushed forward, grabbing his arm and hand in order to stop him from snapping his fingers.

"What did you do to get sent to the Cursed Realm, huh?" Morro demanded, marching forward confidently. The Bone Keeper stumbled backward against one of the many doors while also wrestling Kai and Cole. "What could a miserable snake like you have done to get himself sent _there_ , huh?"

The Bone Keeper shook his head even more vigorously than before, elbowing the two ninja restraining him with the panicked jabs of a wild animal. "You _will_ respect-"

Before the Bone Keeper could speak, Zane rushed him, tackling him around the middle with such force the the door behind him swung open at the impact and the four of them- the Bone Keeper, Kai, Cole, and Zane- went tumbling inside whatever room waited beyond it.

Lloyd, Morro, Nya, and Jay didn't hesitate to sprint in after them, the door slamming shut behind them.

The three ninja grappling the Bone Keeper somersaulted over and over again, heedless of the fact that it was carpet instead of stone underneath them. Landing with the Bone Keeper flat on his back, Kai and Cole restrained his arms to either side.

Looking up hesitantly and trusting that the threat was neutralized, Zane slowly got to his feet, taking stock of their surroundings. Over his shoulder, he noticed that the rest of the ninja had joined them in whatever facet of one their minds.

"Whose memory is this?" Jay asked, scratching his head. In front of them was an exquisite staircase, covered in blood red carpet and bordered by a golden railing. Paintings and vases dotted the foyer of what appeared to be a mansion.

Before anybody could claim ownership of the scene, the ninja- and the Bone Keeper, who had gone still with an expression one could only describe as dread- turned at the sound of the large double doors swinging open.

It was- well, it was the _Bone Keeper_ , though it took them a long moment to recognize him. It was the Bone Keeper, but the only major difference was that this Bone Keeper was _alive_ , a heartbeat and breath bringing life to the dapper human as he grinned.

"London!" He called, shutting the huge doors behind him as he scanned the entryway for whomever he was calling. "London, darling, I'm home!"

A few tense moments passed in silence- even the invisible spectators didn't utter a peep.

"Elias."

The Bone Keeper looked up- at his _name_ , Elias was his _name_ \- at the ornate staircase to see a tall blonde woman standing at the head of the stairs in a white dress.

Only then did the ninja break their vow of silence. In unison, Kai and Nya whispered, "The Weeping Woman!"

"London!" The Bone- _Elias_ greeted warmly. "And, where is my precious little flower?"

When London didn't immediately respond, Elias raised an eyebrow. "Er, um, why are you all wet, sweetheart? I thought we were going to throw the party as soon as I got home."

London smiled drowsily, her eyes half-lidded.

Slowly, hauntingly, she shook her head.

"There is no party. There never will be again. You made sure of that."

At this, Elias began mounting the steps, moving to meet London where she stood. "What are you talking about, my dear?"

"You think I don't know about the other women, but I see things. I hear things. You might be blind to the pain you've caused, but I am not. And, I made sure our daughter never would know that pain."

"What- What are you…? London, what have you done? Where's-"

Over the Weeping Woman's shoulder, he saw a room with the light on, the carpet directly in front of the door soaked through with water London had presumably tracked out of it. With one last glance at his wife, Elias pushed past her, running into the bathroom to see-

" _Chrysanthemum_!"

The ninja, save Morro and Lloyd, gasped, their hands going to their mouths.

London drifted into the bathroom after Elias, followed closely by the morbidly curious ninja. He was pulling his daughter's- and it was _Gem_ , it was _Gem's_ body in her infamous white party dress he was lifting out of the overflowing bathtub, _Gem_ - _Chrysanthemum_ \- was-

He did not attempt resuscitation. It was clear to everyone present that Gem had been gone for a long time.

Elias cradled the small body close to his chest, water streaming from her hair and clothes as he rocked her back and forth.

"What have you _done_?!" Elias demanded, turning helplessly to London standing perfectly content to one side as her husband clutched her murdered daughter's body. "You- You _killed_ her! You killed my baby girl!"

"No, _you_ killed her!" London shrieked, seemingly coming to life at the accusation. "You killed her, you killed her, you killed her, you killed her with your gambling and your drinking and your cheating!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Elias demanded. Carefully, as if handling a priceless artifact, he laid Gem's body on the tile floor before rising to his feet. He stomped toward London, his fists clenched. "Shut _up_!"

"You're a murderer- a _murderer_!" London screamed, lashing out at her husband as if hoping to drown him as well.

Elias pushed her back and she toppled to the floor, her head cracking against the tile floor.

Elias was on top of her immediately, snarling as his hands wrapped around her neck, squeezing, squeezing, _squeezing_ the murderess's life out of her just like she had drowned the life out of their precious, little flower-

London's hands weakly thrashed, pushing at Elias's face with no avail.

Her arms dropped back to the floor.

Her head lolled to one side.

All at once, Elias jerked his hands away from her neck as if it had burned him. His jaw relaxed, his eyes lost their bloodlust, his entire body thrust backward, as if shocked to find himself where he was.

"London?"

No response.

"London?"

He swallowed.

"Don't play with me like this. London. London!"

Elias waited.

He stood up.

He walked out of the room slowly, more like a zombie than a ghost.

Before the ninja could move, he returned.

With a gun in his hand.

Moving Gem's body to lay beside London's, he laid down on the floor on his daughter's other side, raising the gun to his head-

The Bone Keeper broke free of Cole and Kai's grip only to throw himself against the floor, ripping at his hair.

" _Enough, enough, enough! I give up!_ "

* * *

 **Sooo, um. Yes. Thoughts? ^-^;**

 **(Also, in case you're wondering, yes, Forgotten Memory will be longer than Lost Soul and Broken Circle, which were both 25 chapters long. That being said, there aren't that many more chapters to go... Ugh, I'm getting so sad that this story is nearing the end! ;-; ;-; ;-;)**

 **But, I love you all, and I hope you have a wonderful day! :D**


	26. Whatever You're Looking For

**Am I... ON TIME?! ALERT THE MEDIA! XD**

 **Also, WE MADE IT TO OVER 600 REVIEWS?! I am in SHOCK! I don't think I can express my gratitude enough, everyone! You guys really make it worthwhile! :D**

 **I'm glad everyone seemed to like the last chapter so much! I was pretty nervous about the reveal that Gem is the Bone Keeper's daughter, so I am EXTREMELY happy that everyone seemed to enjoy it so much! :D**

 **Special thanks to: KyraPlays, Katla1, GameCubeGirl1, FullMetalPon-3, Revlis Charm, Creator2005, RandomIsCJ, NaninaDaPanda, WindNinja333, RandomDragon2.0, Fxreflies, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, Ebony umbreon, Wolfjem, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, Andrea Lundgaard Miller, MightyShipper, Inimidesert, silverTimeTwin, Plumcicle, JBomb217, Jadestorm, TheYellowNinja, thefiresensei, Rick Riordan1, Anonymous, and StoriesAreMagic for reviewing! :D I PROMISE I will respond to all of them (eventually!)**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Haha, I'm glad I can still surprise you! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: Yay, I'm SO happy you think everything makes sense! And, no, definitely not the last chapter, BUT there are only 2 more ;-; Thank you sooo much for reviewing! :D**

 **Jadestorm: Oh my gosh, this made me laugh so much! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: My BEST chapter?! That makes me soooooo happy to hear! ^-^ Gem recognized the Bone Keeper as her father when he walked in, and that's what she told Morro. YES, I DEFINITELY wanted to really tie all three stories in the trilogy together, so I'm really glad you recognized that! Oh man, working for the show would be INCREDIBLE! XD Aw, and I'm so happy you thought Zane's and Lloyd's fears were perfect! (And the line about the white flag! It's very rewarding to get complimented on my writing specifically :3) Yeah, sorry about the tardiness of last chapter (I think that's the latest I've ever been... -_-;) but here is a MUCH shorter wait for this chapter! I'm trying to stay on top of all my schoolwork, but it's definitely a struggle! Ugh, thank you SOOO much for all your super nice compliments! You always make my day :3**

 **Rick Riordan1: Haha, you know I looooove moral ambiguity! XD Haha, yeeeaaah, that is a pretty messed up family XD Happy Valentine's Day to you too! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Anonymous: Yay, I'm glad the last chapter helped tie the whole trilogy together! :3 YES, I totally get that! I LOOOVE reading other writers' work! Let's see... I've always written little snatches of fanfiction, but I started *seriously* writing in late 2014, I think? But, I definitely have a long way to go, and just practicing constantly is really helping me improve my skills! Thanks for understanding about school! And, I cannot tell you how incredibly stoked I was when I read "You can't be a true Ninjago fan without reading any of your works." That just made my whole YEAR! Thank you SOOO much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

The ninja were slammed back into their bodies, staggering as they gasped in true, real, _free_ air for the first time in… _weeks_ it seemed like.

The Bone Keeper, just as he had in the memory, fell onto his knees _hard_ , the dull _thump_ sending vibrations throughout the tile floor. He was exhausted, face drawn with lines of pain, eyes half lidded as he breathed shallow little gasps of air, like one falling victim to a fatal disease.

He reached one hand into his suit jacket pocket and removed the drawstring pouch, throwing it down on the floor so some of the ninja's Soul Stones were sent spinning along the tile like tops.

Before any of the spectators could get any bright ideas, the ninja moved from the Bone Keeper's entourage, freedom fueling their weakened, aching, frightened bodies as they stooped to scoop their souls off the ground. Each of them in turn pressed the jagged rocks into their palms hard enough to draw blood, as if the Stone itself was yearning to return to its home inside them.

Cautiously, the ninja moved to join the Lost Souls, brushing past Lloyd and Morro reassuringly before turning to watch the Bone Keeper with baited breath.

"Give my Soul Stone to them," the blue ghost muttered without raising his head.

Bansha glanced at Wrayth, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer before raising an eyebrow. "Bone Keeper, are you-"

" _Give it to them_!" He shouted, shaking his head in despair. "I made a bet, and I lost. It is done."

Reluctantly, Bansha held out the blue and gray Soul Stone, sneering at Morro as he swiped the rock from her hand. The Lost Souls did not move to let the ghost thieves leave, though, and the Preeminent's generals attempted to appear stoic in the face of their uncertain fate. No one had discussed the consequences for the four in the event that the ninja won the bet.

There was a pregnant pause.

Lloyd turned to Morro, raising his eyebrows and cocking his head expectantly.

Morro shook his head in response.

Lloyd raised his eyebrows even higher, waiting.

Morro rolled his eyes with a huff before stepping forward.

"Bone Keeper," he managed to say evenly despite everything. "This is more than I want to give you and certainly more than you deserve, but she wants to see you."

Only then did the blue ghost raise his head, peering back at Morro with a half-lidded but intrigued gaze.

"Who?"

* * *

Morro opened the door to the guest room he had been assigned where he had told Gem to wait.

The Bone Keeper wandered in after him. His grayish eyes immediately fixated on Gem, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him approach with wide blue eyes.

"C-C-Chrysanthemum," the Bone Keeper whispered, moving to kneel on the floor in front of her. She still hadn't moved. "My… My precious little flower…"

"Daddy," Gem replied quietly, more of a statement than a greeting. She was not smiling, her face frozen into the solemn expression that china dolls wore.

He reached for her hand.

She moved it out of reach.

The Bone Keeper sighed, deflating like a balloon. For the first time since Morro met him, he didn't seem like an imposing force that one desperately wanted on their side. Instead he seemed just like what he was: an old, lonely ghost.

"Chrysanthemum," he began again. "I am… I am so sorry." The phrase was torn out of him with the beginnings of a ragged sob, and Morro wondered how long it had been since he'd said it. "What your mother did to you… I made her pay for what she did. I keep her locked in a cell, and I'll keep her there for all of eternity so that she can only begin to regret taking the life from you."

"You found mommy," she reiterated quietly.

"Yes," the Bone Keeper nodded, reaching for Gem's hand once again. This time, she let him, but it sat limply in his grip.

"You looked for her."

"Yes," the Bone Keeper nodded more vigorously this time, smiling.

Gem's face scrunched, and her blue eyes would have been glistening with tears if they could have.

"But, not me," she cried. "You looked for mommy and you found her but you didn't look for me. You're the Bone Keeper- you can find anyone- and I was right here- _right here_ \- for so long- so _close_ \- and you didn't look for me."

"Chrysanthemum-"

"I was alone- I was _alone_!" Gem yelled, pitching forward as she sobbed. She ripped her hand out of his grasp and started pounding the Bone Keeper with her fists. He didn't react in any way- she wouldn't be able to hit very hard even if she wasn't a ghost- but his face was crumpling nonetheless. "I was all alone for so long and you didn't even care enough to _look_!"

"Because, I was _ashamed_!" The Bone Keeper interrupted, grabbing the flailing wrists and squeezing both her hands in his as if that way he could make her understand. "Your mother killed you and I couldn't stop her- she'd killed my precious little flower- cut her down even _before_ she'd reached the prime of life. How could I call myself your father when I couldn't even protect you from _that_?"

"So, you stayed away!" Gem yelled her conclusion, struggling to yank her hands out of his grip. He held her fast. "You were always off gambling and drinking and sleeping with women and after that killed me you _still_ decided to stay away!"

The Bone Keeper opened his mouth- but nothing came out. He didn't have anything to say.

"I don't _care_ if you found mommy. I don't _care_ if you made her pay for what she did or if you were ashamed or _anything_! All I wanted was my daddy and you- you-"

She dissolved into loud sobs, her little body wracked with tremors as she finally mourned the family she had lost so long ago.

Impulsively, the Bone Keeper leaned forward, pulling his daughter into a hug. Gem didn't resist; instead, she pressed her face into his pin-striped suit.

"I am so sorry," he said softly, placing his hand on her head gently, as if afraid of breaking her. "I am so sorry, and I will spend the rest of my afterlife trying to make it up to you."

* * *

"Zane."

The nindroid was perched on the edge of the bed in his father's bedroom, staring down at the Soul Stone resting daintily in the palm of his hand.

"Zane, the others… mentioned what happened to you at the Bone Keeper's," Dr. Julien stated, moving to sit beside his son on the bed.

He waited for Zane to say something. The nindroid studied the stone: it was mostly white, but there were two diagonal bands of color. One of light blue, like ice. The other gray, like metal. It was nothing like he expected and yet _exactly_ what he expected, and that contradiction would bother him to no end.

"This is my soul," he announced suddenly, holding it out for his father to see. "I did not know if I had one. I was terrified that when the Bone Keeper reached into my body he would find nothing there."

Dr. Julien, knowing Zane wasn't finished, waited.

"I did not even believe it when I saw it," Zane went on, still only looking at the stone and not at the man who had created him. "Only now that I am touching it… It looks like a pebble- a beautiful pebble but a pebble nonetheless. And, yet… I _know_ that this is my soul."

"I know it too," Dr. Julien replied, reaching out to cup Zane's hand before curling his son's fingers over the rock in his hand. "I know it without touching it. I knew it without seeing it."

Zane shook his head. "But… But, how?"

"You just do," Dr. Julien shrugged. "Now, as a scientist, that is a terrible answer. But, as a human being, it is the only one I can give you. And, it is the right one."

Zane laughed, but it came out thick and watery. "I think I am finally starting to understand that."

"Zane," Dr. Julien said softly, moving his hand from Zane's and instead placing it on his son's chest, where his heart would be. "You are more human than most people will ever be in their lifetime."

Zane tried to laugh again but he was already crying, bowing his head even further as tears dribbled onto his gi. "I-I was so confused for so long- and sometimes- sometimes I hated you for creating me."

Dr. Julien's chest ached, and he immediately, wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders.

"But, I think I finally understand. I know I am a person, and I want to be one," Zane sobbed, leaning into his father's touch. "And, yet, I also don't want to- It is as if I continue to think of myself as nothing but a robot, then what they did to me in that lab will not seem so bad."

"Zane, it _was_ bad," Dr. Julien insisted. "No one- _no one_ \- should have to go through what you did, nindroid or not. And, you are allowed to be upset by it."

Zane's sobs only worsened as he leaned farther into his father's embrace, seeming more like a small child than a ninja.

"But, it's okay now, Zane," Dr. Julien said softly, voice almost breaking as he tried to hold back his own tears brought forth by his son's rare weeping. "Me, the ninja… we are here for you. And, we always, _always_ will be."

Zane's crying grew in volume, but he clutched his father's lab coat tighter and nodded with the certainty of someone who knew it to be true.

* * *

Lydia ran her fingertips along Jay's chestnut bangs, combing them away from his face only for them to spring right back into place.

Jay had limped over to her and Cliff, collapsed into a sort of hug/sort of faint, proclaimed that he loved both of them, and promptly pressed his Soul Stone to his stomach, knowing he would need to sleep immediately as a result.

Now, he was sprawled out on the couch, his head in his mother's lap and his feet on his father's.

"Do you realize that this is the first time _ever_ that the three of us have been together?" Lydia asked her husband, though she didn't tear her gaze away from counting the zillion little freckles on Jay's cheeks.

Cliff cocked his head, considering this for a moment. "No, that's not true. I remember a time almost exactly like this. We were on the couch, trying to think of a name…"

Lydia gasped, knowing the exact memory he was referring to. Grinning, she slapped Cliff on the arm. "It doesn't count if Jay was still in the womb!"

Cliff laughed, moving away from her blows. "Who says?!"

Jay moaned in his sleep, shifting his position. A tiny whimper escaped his mouth as he pulled at his wound, and Lydia shushed him, stroking his hair.

"I can't believe…"

Lydia trailed off, shaking her head and pressing her lips together as if physically trying to keep the rest of her words inside.

Cliff looked at her. "C'mon, what is it, babe?"

"I just…" She laid her hand against Jay's cheek and revelled in the way he leaned into the touch. "We just… didn't get to have… _this_."

Cliff nodded slowly, leaning back into the couch cushion. He patted Jay's leg, sighing. "Yeah. I know."

"It's like I want Jay to just keep sleeping here and never wake up so they can't go back." Lydia shook her head. "Ugh, that sounded weird. I'm not a terrible person, I promise."

"You're obviously not a terrible person, L," Cliff reassured her. "You're a mother. And, you'll be one no matter where he is."

"I know." Lydia sighed, ghosting the back of her hand over Jay's cheek once again. "I know. But, if he could sleep just a little while longer…"

On the other side of the room, Lloyd, Kai, and Nya were all seated on the floor near the four ghost thieves that had since been chained. They were sitting in a circle/triangle sharing stories of their time apart, which eventually devolved into Nya and Kai comparing Soul Stones in order to determine whose was better.

"Red, blue, and yellow?" Kai asked, pointing at Nya's Soul Stone. "Ever heard of secondary colors, sis?"

"Pfft," Nya scoffed. "I'd take mine over red and orange any day. Seems a little 'on the nose' if you ask me."

"Well, no one asked you."

"Now, mine is the only one we've never seen," Lloyd interjected, eying the two rocks in his siblings' hands and wondering what it would be like to be holding his own.

"Believe me, I _wish_ I'd never seen mine." Kai replied, closing his fist over his stone.

Lloyd bit his lip. "Listen, guys…"

"Oh no, don't you start," Nya interrupted, holding up a hand.

"What? You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to say something like 'you guys shouldn't have put yourselves at risk for me. This is all my fault. If only I wasn't so weak and annoying,'" Kai suggested, doing a rather abysmal imitation of Lloyd's more high pitched voice.

The Green Ninja frowned. "I don't sound like that."

"Yeah, you do."

"Lloyd, we would do anything for you," Nya reinforced more earnestly.

Lloyd shook his head. "But…"

"Look, was it a terrible experience? Yes. Do I want to punch the Bone Keeper in the face? Yes. Would I do it all again? In a _heartbeat!_ " Nya exclaimed. "We're family, Lloyd."

"For some of us," Kai added with a sidelong glance at Lydia, Cliff, and Jay, "the only family we got."

Lloyd mulled this over for a moment but couldn't find a suitable counter-argument. After all, he knew for a fact that, had the roles been reversed, he would have done exactly the same thing for any one of his siblings.

Kai elbowed his little brother with a smirk. "Now, are you going to go over to Cliff Gordon and ask for an autograph or are you going to make me do it?"

"Kai! I can't!"

"C'mon, I don't want to hear you moping about missing out on an autograph for the rest of my life."

"No! It's-It's embarrassing!"

"'Kay, guess it's up to me then."

"No, Kai! Kai, get back here! _Kai_!"

* * *

"Aah!" Cole yelled, shooting up in bed and moving to shield Jay from the incoming blade-

"Cole! Cole, baby! You're alright!" His mother- his mother?- was there on the edge of the bed, pushing on his chest to get him to lay down again. She patted his chest firmly once he was still again, smiling gently at him. "It's alright."

"Mom?" Cole asked dazedly. Was this… the mindscape? His mom was asking him to choose between staying here and going through the door…

But, no, now Cole remembered. He had pressed his Soul Stone to his stomach and fell asleep in his mother's bedroom, and she had promised to be here when he woke up.

"I'm here, baby," she whispered, petting down his hair. She cringed when her green eyes dropped to his bruised- and still dully aching- face. "Oh, honey… What they did to you…"

"I'm okay," he replied, attempting to sit up again. "The others… Is Jay okay?"

"He's fine, Cole," Corrine reassured with a fond smile as she pushed him back down in the bed. "I'm more worried about you right now."

Cole shook his head. "What about the others-"

"Cole," Corrine said in her "mom" voice, and the black ninja that was nearly twice her size immediately clammed up.

"Please let me take care of you."

Cole blinked up at her staring back at him half-bashfully, half-hopefully. It was like she had known he had relived the memory, had heard Jay criticizing her for never caring for Cole like a mother should. He almost wanted to ask her _how_ she had known, but he could guess easily enough. _Mother's intuition_ , Jay always grumbled mockingly when Edna ended up being right about something he had wanted her to be wrong about.

"Now," Corrine continued when Cole didn't respond immediately. "Tell me honestly: how are you feeling?"

"I…" Cole trailed off. It was unbelievably hard letting himself be the bed-ridden one; it was always his mother who was too depressed to get out of bed and Cole bringing her tissues and whichever bottle she asked for. "I'm… fine."

"Cole," Corrine said, placing her hand gently upon his arm. "Please."

Cole swallowed thickly, closing his eyes and letting his head sink deeper into the pillow. "I… Well, it hurts all over. This whole group of ghosts beat the crap out of me two different times and I almost got stabbed but Jay saved me and I really thought I was going to die, Mom. I know we're ninja and I've almost died a bunch of times, but… but I was just standing there in the middle of them, and I was _alone_ and totally powerless to do anything to stop them, and I thought I was going to die like that, Mom. Coughing up blood on my knees…"

And, his mom nodded. And listened.

* * *

It was the next morning by the time the ninja had recovered enough to leave. The seven of them were gathered in the foyer along with their loved ones, saying their last goodbyes before they activated the Realm Crystal and went back to Ninjago.

"Morro," Lydia addressed, walking over to the wind master whom Gem was currently clinging to like a cat hanging from the curtain by its claws. "We talked it over and decided that… you should get to decide what happens to Wrayth and the others. We know… well, how close you were."

Morro pondered this a moment before nodding and walking over to the four ghosts still huddled in the corner in chains and probably hoping for a chance to escape.

None of them could meet his eyes. Their were heads were slightly bowed, accepting whatever fate Morro decided fit for them.

They were scared of him. Scared of his wrath, scared of the Morro that thought up particularly cruel punishments for fun, scared of the Morro that had carried out the Preeminent's orders, no matter how sadistic, with relish.

"Let them go."

Their heads shot up, eyes wide with shock. Morro's expression as he looked down at them was neither happy nor angry, though perhaps somewhat sad. Over his shoulder, the ninja's shocked expressions matched the captive ghosts' own.

The ghosts hesitantly climbed to their feet whilst sharing wide-eyed looks with each other, as if afraid that Morro was only lulling them into a false sense of security before he struck.

"Whatever you're looking for… I'm not it." Morro stated simply. "But, I hope you find it."

And, with that, he turned on his heel and walked back over to the ninja.

Wrayth, Bansha, the Soul Archer, and Ghoultar shifted uncomfortably as a Lost Soul unlocked their Vengestone handcuffs and gestured toward the door. They were ready to deal with the Morro they had known, and now with the confirmation that that Morro was gone, they seemed lost, _aimless_ , without him.

Morro did watch as they shuffled toward the door. They all glanced back at him, as if expecting- maybe even _hoping_ \- he would change his mind and resemble the leader they had tried so hard to get back, but Morro said nothing.

Ghoultar went out first, then Bansha, then the Soul Archer. Wrayth was last. With one hand on the door jamb, he looked back at Morro one last time.

He offered a two-finger salute, but it was a goodbye if there ever was one.

Morro nodded once.

Wrayth passed through the door, and they were gone.

There was half a second of silence before Morro cleared his throat. "Well, let's go. I don't have all day."

The rest of the ninja reanimated, hugging their parents for possibly the last time until they arrived as ghosts in the Departed Realm themselves.

Gem squeezed Morro's neck, burying her face in his chest.

"What are you going to do about the Bone Keeper?" Morro asked her, hugging her back just as tightly.

"I had an idea about that…" She whispered said idea in Morro's ear, as if afraid of anyone else overhearing it.

Morro grinned and nodded. "I like it. It's got flair."

"I knew you would."

After setting Gem down, Morro reached into his pocket and pulled out the Realm Crystal he had somehow managed to hold onto this entire trip.

He handed it to Lloyd.

Lloyd looked down at it before accepting. He smiled at Morro. "Thanks."

He turned to the other ninja. "Ready to go home, guys?"

And, the reply was an exhausted but very vehement, " _Yes_!"

Lloyd laughed before activating the Realm Crystal. With one last wave at his father, he jumped through.

* * *

 **Ooh, what was Gem's idea? ;D**

 **So, everything's wrapping up... I'm sad to say that it looks like there's going to be maybe two more chapters to this story ;-; BUT, I WILL eventually update Getting to Know You, I have some ideas that I'm really excited about for Zane's Five Times, AND I have some ideas for a larger story (like this one) too! ;D**

 **Feel free to suggest any ideas for "Five Times Zane Was a Nurse!" ;D**

 **Thank you all for reading! You'll never know how happy you all make me :3**


	27. In Another Life

**I guess it's more or less expected for me to be late now -_-; But, I'll still apologize because I'm VERY sorry, everyone! ^-^;**

 **Also, WARNING! Once again, this chapter is VERY dark. There are mentions of sexual assault and drug use. Please be aware of the content before you read.**

 **Special thanks to: GwenBrightly, FullMetalPon-3, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, NaninaDaPanda, GameCubeGirl1, ardhoniel. lotrStarWarsNinjago, KyraPlays, Katla1, PrairieSkies, RandomDragon2.0, Inimidesert, thefiresensei, kaiawesomlymonsterous, WindNinja333, Wolfjem, Andrea Lundgaard Miller, MightyShipper, Persephone, Dinofaure, JBomb217, TheYellowNinja, GalacticD0nust, whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, Anonymous, StoriesAreMagic, Rick Riordan1, Fxreflies, and SpiritDragon for reviewing! (Once again, I promise I will EVENTUALLY get around to responding to everyone's incredibly nice reviews! :D)**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: It hasn't ended quite yet! I really hope you enjoy these last two chapters! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Persephone: Aw, I'm so glad you're liking the story so much! And great idea for Zane's Five Times! :D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Dinofaure: YES, Nya will be getting a Five Times as well (eventually! XD) Aw, that really means a lot to me! Thank you so much! :D**

 **JBomb217: Thank you so much! Haha, yeah, you know I love parent-child reunions :3 We will see! ;D We will definitely have a mixture of different ways Zane takes care of the others ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Don't worry, we'll check back in with Gem and the Bone Keeper ;D Aw, I'm glad you liked the resolution to Zane's arc and his Soul Stone! I had a lot of fun thinking up what each ninja's Soul Stone would like, and Zane's might be one of my favorites :3 Kai and Nya are slipping back into their siblings roles and finally getting to really acknowledge their Soul Stones since they didn't get a chance to before :3 Right?! I think Ed and Edna would LOVE Lydia and Cliff! Believe me, I get SO nostalgic looking back at Lost Soul and Broken Circle too ;-; I STILL can't believe how far these stories have come! And, your reviews have ALWAYS made my day! Thank you SO MUCH for the constant support! :D It really means a lot to me :3**

 **Anonymous: Oh my goodness, thank you so much for letting me know about your decision to read my fanfics! Preferring them over the actual show?! Hiring me for Day of the Departed?! Making you like Morro as a character?! The highlight of your week?! All of these just make me SO INCREDIBLY happy to read, so thank you so much for sharing! I hope you did well at your competition and got the Monastery of Spinjitzu! Definitely let me know if you got it or not! And, I really hope you like Zane's Five Times (don't worry, there will definitely be variety ;D) and future Getting to Know You chapters! Thank you SOOO much for this lovely review!**

 **Rick Riordan1: "Squealing?!" Yay! :D Good idea for Zane's Five Times ;D Thank you so so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Haha, yeah, I was wondering if I should address that in-story or not XD Yeah, because the Bone Keeper and Gem weren't using their real names and since he never specifically *looked* for his daughter, he had no idea that she was actually Gem. Which just makes it sadder since they were so close all this time and had no idea ;-; Haha, Lloyd can't deny he's curious, but it's probably better if he never has to see his own Soul Stone XD Wu and Misako are definitely worried! We'll see them this chapter ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

* * *

Unfortunately, the ninja didn't go _directly_ home. Because they had used the Realm Crystal in Lloyd's hospital room, it spit them back out in Lloyd's hospital room- or Lloyd's _former_ hospital room. They may have given the current patient a heart attack, but his young son and daughter were more than delighted at the ninja's abrupt appearance.

Soon enough, the word that the Green Ninja was awake was spreading throughout the city like wildfire. Glimpsed candid shots of Lloyd- up and about- were plastered on every screen there was in Ninjago City. Although Lloyd was more than willing to make an official address about his condition in the near future, at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to see his mom and uncle again before collapsing in his own bedroom at the Airjitzu Temple.

Using all the ninja skill at their disposal (with Cole more of less carrying the still injured Jay), the ninja managed to make it to the temple without getting caught.

Lloyd pushed open the door to their refurbished old building, poking his head inside.

Master Wu was standing in the center of the living room, his hands behind his back and a severe expression on his face.

His face softened when he saw Lloyd, though. "Nephew. I am overjoyed to see you up and about." He struggled to regain his "punishment" expression, though it was nowhere near as stern as before. "But, that does not excuse what the rest of you have done. Stealing the Realm Crystal, lying, endangering Lloyd-"

Before Wu could even finish admonishing them, the ninja had burst through the doorway and tackled their sensei in a group hug, nearly burying the old man in their dogpile.

"Sensei, we're so sorry!"

"We're horrible students!"

"We promise we'll never disobey you again!"

"We missed you so much, Sensei, please don't make me change any light bulbs!"

"Or sharpen pencils!"

"Or wear short skirts!"

Sensei Wu blinked, hesitantly patting whatever ninja was closest to either hand.

"I, uh… well, perhaps you all have been punished enough."

* * *

A week later, and things were… slow going in getting back to normal. After all the exertion, Jay was relegated to strict bedrest so his stab wound could heal, though Cole was more than happy to tend to him. More often than not, Zane could be found in there as well, sometimes talking, sometimes sleeping, just not wanting to be alone with his memories.

Kai and Nya had made a short but necessary trip to their blacksmith shop, looking for clues, but also reminiscing, talking about the memories Nya had wanted to forget and Kai couldn't help but remember.

Misako hovered nervously around Lloyd, as if afraid that the minute he stepped out of her sight, he would slip back into a coma. Lloyd loved his mother, he did, and the attention was certainly touching, but enough was enough.

When he managed to slip away one night after dinner, he found Morro sitting on the edge of their floating island, his palms resting on the ground behind him and his gaze trained on the sky. He had been… distant the past week, and Lloyd was ready to know why.

"Hey, Morro," Lloyd greeted casually, coming to sit beside him. Once upon a time, Lloyd would have been scared to be in such a precarious position so close to Morro. Now, Lloyd knew the wind master wouldn't push him, but break his fall. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Morro smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "I guess some sayings never change. Though, I still don't know what the heck a meme is."

Lloyd laughed, but after a moment, Morro sighed and hunched forward, as if he were cold.

"I've been thinking about it," he continued slowly, almost like he were planning out each word several seconds in advance. "And, I think… I think I'm going to go off on my own. For a little while."

Lloyd's jaw dropped. "What? You're going to… you're going to _leave_? I thought we…"

"Yeah, we did," Morro reassured, nodding. "It's just… not a good fit, you know? There's still the whole problem with me being the most hated person in Ninjago, and then the whole thing with accidentally getting in between Jay and Cole and-"

"Huh?" Lloyd interrupted, arching an eyebrow. "What about Jay and Cole?"

Morro smirked. "Ah, right. Let's just say a lot of things happened in the mindscape." He turned to face Lloyd, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm not going to just disappear. I'll come back to visit, and I'll come back to help if you need me. I guess I just wasn't cut out to be a team player, you know?"

With that, Morro patted Lloyd on the shoulder before standing up and walking back into the Airjitzu Temple. The Green Ninja stayed sitting on the floating island for a moment, staring up at the stars that Morro had been studying for a moment, as if trying to find whatever had convinced Morro to leave there.

Maybe finding his answer, he stood up. Marched back into the Airjitzu Temple. Gathered the rest of his siblings, sans Morro, in Jay's bedroom.

"Morro's planning on leaving," he announced. "We've got to do something to stop him."

* * *

"Lloyd, where are you taking me?" Morro asked in exasperation. The ninja had commandeered the Destiny's Bounty, flying to some mysterious location that they had refused to tell Morro. He hadn't thought too much about it at the time, not until after the rest of the ninja had disappeared and Lloyd had manhandled him into following him to a "surprise."

It was a small city, only a fraction of the size of Ninjago City, and not far from the old monastery. There weren't as many people out on the street, and certainly none brave enough to approach and praise the Green Ninja or harass Morro.

"We're almost there! Just be patient!" Lloyd admonished. As he said this, they turned the corner, and Morro saw all the other ninja gathered loosely on some benches in front of an ugly squat, beige building.

Morro read the sign above the glass double doors and frowned. _Rose County Psychiatric Hospital_. A nuthouse?

"Okay, Morro," Lloyd said, moving to stand beside the rest of the ninja as they presented whatever "surprise" they could possibly have in store for him _here_. "I told the others what you said about leaving, and none of us want you to go."

"Morro, I… I know I said a lot of things in the mindscape," Jay broke in shamefully, hanging his head. Morro remembered the _"It's not like you're even really part of the team"_ with a pang. "They weren't true and they weren't right, but I can't take them back." He looked up with a hesitant half-smile. "So, we wanted to do something to make it up to you. To show you that you _are_ a part of our team."

Morro cocked his head. "By throwing me in an insane asylum?"

"No!" Kai replied, rolling his eyes. "We thought, what does Morro want more than anything else?"

The red ninja smiled gently then before answering his own question.

"To find his mom."

Morro recoiled like he'd been punched in the chest. After staring incredulously for a moment as his brain scrambled to devise an appropriate response, his gaze shifted back to the sign. He grabbed his head, suddenly dizzy. "You mean… You mean, she's… but… but _how_?"

Nya stepped forward then, placing a hand on his arm. "Well… you might want to sit down for this, Morro," she said, gesturing to the bench.

Morro stayed standing, narrowing his eyes. "How did you find her?"

"As a nindroid, all of my sensorial input is being constantly recorded and saved to a hard drive," Zane explained. "What that means is, any of my memories can be accessed after the fact. So, when we saw that memory of your mother in the mindscape, we were able to isolate the image of her."

"So, we ran her picture against basically the entire internet, trying to find any record of her," Nya continued. "It was a long shot, since the internet wasn't around at the time. There might have been no electronic record of her, and then we would've been back to square one. But, a lot of places have started transferring their physical records from that time onto the computer, so we thought it was worth a shot. So, after some semi-illegal hacking, we found her."

When none of the ninja took up the yarn, Morro glared at all of them. "What?" Morro barked. "What is it?"

"Morro, I really think you should sit down-"

"I'm _fine_!" He snapped, clenching his fists. "Now, what is it?"

Nya glanced at the others before deciding to continue with the story. "We found her picture… in a police report. They took pictures of some injuries she had sustained in a… sexual assault."

Morro was sure the world had stopped turning.

Knees buckling, he reached out blindly for the bench he wished he sat down on before and sank shakily down onto it.

"You mean, she was raped," Morro clarified, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his head fall into his hands. "By my father. I'm the product of a rape."

He laughed bitterly, and though the ninja couldn't see his face, they heard the pain as surely as if he had been lethally wounded, raw and bleeding and _dying_.

"The product of a rape," he laughed mirthlessly again. "I never stood a chance, did I?"

"Well, we don't know for sure, do we?" Kai demanded. "I mean, we don't know for sure that… that's who your father is, right?"

"But, probably, right?" Morro lifted his head, staring at Zane, who he knew would tell him the truth.

The nindroid hesitated, but eventually answered. His voice was very soft, as if not wanting to startle a wild animal. "According to the date of the police report and Morro's approximate age… it is possible… and, in fact, likely, that that was the date of his conception. Though, no, we can't know for sure. We looked, but we could not find your birth certificate, Morro."

There was a moment of silence. Morro breathed in a ragged breath, letting his head fall back onto his hands.

"Why did you bring me here?" He asked quietly. "You really think she would want to see me? You really think she would want to see _his_ son?"

"Morro," Cole said, perching on the bench beside his brother and hesitantly looping an arm around his shoulders. Morro didn't move; he didn't lean into the touch, but he didn't pull away either. "We all saw that memory. No matter who your father is, no matter what happened to her… She _loved_ you. She loved you more than anything. Anybody with eyes could have seen that."

"And then, she _left_ me," Morro added bitterly, spitting the word out as if it was poisonous.

"Morro," Jay said, kneeling on the ground in front of where Morro was sitting on the bench so they could be eye level. "I thought the same thing. When I went to go see my father… I thought he wasn't going to want to see me. I thought he left me because he didn't want me. But, even if he _hadn't_ wanted me, even if he hated me, I'm glad I went. I wanted to know. I _needed_ to know before it was too late."

Jay paused, and then stated, "She's sixty four, Morro. You never know when… you won't have the chance anymore."

Still, the wind master didn't move. He studied the ground between his feet intently, as if he was attempting to make it burst into flames.

"And, no matter what happens, we'll be right here," Cole reassured. "No matter what happens, you still have us."

A beat.

Morro stood slowly, stiffly.

Without a word, he turned toward the door.

"Her room number is 121. We already cleared up the situation- or, a version of the situation- with the staff. They won't bother you." Nya said. "And, Morro… her name is Mona. Mona Weston."

 _Weston. Mona. Mona Weston. Morro Weston. Mona and Morro Weston._

He nodded- or he thought he did, it was hard to think through the haze in his skull- and passed through the doors.

He wandered through the lobby, glancing dazedly at room numbers in the hallway. True to Nya's word, the staff barely glanced at him.

 _121_

121 was her room number, and she was right behind this door.

" _You're the only good thing in my life, you know that?"_

No matter what, she had said that once. No matter what, once, he had been the only good thing in her life. And, no matter what, the ninja were outside. Waiting for him.

He knocked once before he realized what he had done.

Opened the door.

She was an old woman. She was lying in bed, her short, spiky salt and pepper hair fanning out slightly against the pillow. She was watching the tiny, box TV in the corner, apparently not bothered by its fuzzy picture or unclear audio.

Her age hadn't totally concealed the dainty features she and Morro shared. The thin, angular face, the long eyelashes, the tiny wrists he could wrap his fingers around so they met on the other side. It was definitely the woman in the memory, plus forty years.

She looked over at the sound of the door closing and Morro haltingly approaching the bedside.

He stopped when he saw her eyes, though. They were green, but that wasn't the startling part.

They were cloudy. He had seen it enough to know what it was instantly: cataracts. She could barely see him, if she wasn't completely blind.

"Hello?" She greeted. Her voice was soft, wary but not threatened.

Morro didn't speak immediately, choosing instead to sit on the chair that was pulled up to her bedside. He clasped his hands in his lap. Part of him had hoped that she would recognize herself in him, know who he was instantly. Cole had said that he looked just like her after all.

But, she couldn't see him. She wouldn't know his voice. He had no idea how to proceed.

"Hello? Who's there?"

"...Mona," Morro eventually said, the word feeling foreign and awkward on his tongue. He wondered vaguely if "Mom" would feel more natural, and part of him didn't want to know. "I've come to… ask you a few questions."

She didn't smile, nor frown. She was cautious. Like Morro.

"Okay. I'll try to help however I can."

"I need you… I need you to tell me about your baby."

She froze. Her eyes filled with tears. She reached out for his hand, and Morro, after a moment, placed his hand in hers.

"You believe me?" She whispered brokenly, tears leaving twin tracks down her face. "You believe me about my baby?"

"Yes," Morro replied, not knowing exactly what he was agreeing to. "Can you… can you tell me what happened? From the beginning?"

"The beginning?" Mona sobbed, shaking her head against her pillow. "I can't start at the beginning. The beginning was pain and blood and fear and- and- and-"

"Okay, okay, okay," Morro broke in frantically, not wanting to upset her any more than he already had. "After… After that. What happened after that?"

"After that?" Mona repeated quietly. "After that, I was pregnant. After that, I was _pregnant_. After that, I was pregnant and I wanted to kill myself." She sobbed again, and Morro almost ripped his hand out of her grasp and ran out of the room. He didn't want to hear this.

"But, I thought that wasn't fair. I shouldn't have to kill myself- I'll just kill the baby. I'll kill the spawn of evil, and then I'll be free."

Morro trembled. He almost pulled away, but she held him fast.

"I had everything ready. I gave birth by myself in some crappy motel room. I was going to turn the water on and drown him in the bathtub."

Morro thought of Gem. Fitting that they would have died the same way.

Suddenly, Mona reached her other arm over, clasping Morro's hand in both of her own.

"And, then… And, then I saw him."

More tears were streaming down her face, but she smiled. She smiled.

"He was perfect," she whispered. "He was _perfect_. I know every mother says that about her baby, but he was, he was perfect, he was _perfect_. He was beautiful and perfect and everything good in the world, and I could never destroy that."

Morro started when he felt something drip onto his hand in his lap. Looking down, he realized he was crying.

"And-And I wanted to take care of him forever and hold him and have him forever, but-" Mona shook her head. "It was _hard_. It was so _hard_. I was poor and alone and- and sometimes I needed to forget it all. Just for a little while. I got high just for a little while- I swear I always was going to come back down.

"I was just taking a little to get me through the day," she explained hastily, as if trying to defend herself to an unseen judge and jury. "I was in an alley- I was responsible! I even put him in a box so he couldn't crawl away."

 _Baby in a box_.

"But, somebody found me- took me to a hospital. When I woke up, I asked, where's my baby? I need to see my baby," Mona sobbed. Her next words were almost incomprehensible.

"And, they said- and they said, 'what baby?'"

She covered her face in shame but continued her story brokenly, hysterically. "They found me, but they left my baby there- they didn't see him in the box. They told me there _was_ no baby, that they looked and there was no baby- they told me I was crazy- there was no birth certificate for any baby- they told me I was crazy and locked me up in here after I tried to kill myself for the third time because I couldn't- I can't _live_ with what I've _done_ -"

She dissolved into sobs.

Tears ran down Morro's face as he processed everything he had just heard.

She didn't leave him.

She _lost_ him.

Every time he had imagined finding his parents, it wasn't like this. He imagined a dramatic appearance, a vindictive accusation. He imagined finding his parents together on some yacht, and when he found them, he told them who he was and everything he had done and ruined them for ever abandoning him in a box. He imagined them begging for forgiveness they didn't deserve, but he would only turn on his heel, making them wallow in the shame of having created a monster.

He never imagined it like this. It was supposed to be triumphant, fix every part of him that was messed up. Not… Not this.

Now, he wanted to tell her who he was to comfort her. To reassure her that the baby in the box had survived.

"I'm…"

The baby in the box had survived… and become a monster. The baby she had loved so much had become a monster because she had lost him. Even if it wasn't today, one day someone would let something slip and she would realize that her son was Morro, most hated psychopath and unofficial criminal in Ninjago. The shame and the guilt would kill her.

"Mona, I… I've met your son."

She started, gasping. "Wh-what? What?"

"I've met your son," Morro repeated, being the one to take her hand this time and trying to keep the tears out of his voice. "He's all grown up now. He's got a family that loves him. He's a _hero_. He's a hero and he protects people because he knew- he _knew_ how much you loved him."

Morro hurriedly wiped at his eyes as he continued. "He is good and kind and selfless and everything that I have ever wanted to be."

Mona blinked slowly, exhausted by her crying. Maybe part of her thought this was a dream. Maybe she was desperately trying to convince herself it wasn't.

"My baby…" she said softly, silent tears escaping her half-lidded eyes. "What do they… What do they call him?"

"Lloyd," Morro whispered.

Mona closed her eyes. "Will you tell him… Tell him that his name is Noah."

 _Noah_. _Noah Weston_. Another name in another time in another life.

"I will," Morro said, struggling to see her through his tears.

He didn't know how long he sat there. He waited with her until she fell asleep. He held her hand as the sun climbed across the floor and listened to the fuzzy TV she couldn't see.

Eventually, he wiped his sleeve over his face. He hoped he had erased any sign of tears, but knowing the ninja, they would be able to tell anyway.

He wandered back outside in the same daze he had wandered in, finding the ninja still gathered around despite how many hours had passed, just like they promised.

They jumped to their feet when they saw him come outside. "Morro! How did-"

"Where is he?" Morro demanded.

"Who-"

"Where is my father?"

* * *

 **Sooo, thoughts? ^-^;**

 **One more chapter, and I'll save my goodbyes until then ;-; But, I'm always taking suggestions for Zane's Five Times! :D**

 **I love you and have a great day! :D**


	28. Looking For Something

**First of all, I am INCREDIBLY sorry about being late! Aside from all my usual schoolwork, I think part of me didn't want to post this chapter because then this story will be over ;-; (I'll have an emotional author's note at the bottom ;-; ;-; ;-;)**

 **Special thanks to: whycan'tIfindanamethatfits, ardhoniel. LotRStarWarsNinjago, Inimidesert, Revlis Charm, Spacey no Ocean, KyraPlays, GwenBrightly, Katla1, FullMetalPon-3, kaiawesomelymonsterous, NaninaDaPanda, Andrea Lund, Drawkill Vear and Lycaran, WarriorNerd-000, GameCubeGirl1, PrairieSkies, MightyShipper, WindNinja333, Plumcicle, SpiritDragon, Jadestorm, JBomb217, TheYellowNinja, RandomDragon2.0, FlightOfTheFury, StoriesAreMagic, Rick Riordan1, Guest, IloveDietcokeislife, TheKittenQueen, and Anonymous for reviewing! :D**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **MightyShipper: Yay, I'm so glad! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **SpiritDragon: Haha, yeah, I know exactly what you mean XD Yeah, that's a good question, but considering Misako stayed with him and they actually got married beforehand, I would think conceiving Lloyd was consensual. I'm so glad you're looking forward to the Five Times! Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Jadestorm: I'll go ahead and tell you that Morro's going to stick with Morro, though learning what his birth name was HUGE for him :3 We'll... see Morro's father this chapter ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **JBomb217: If anybody ever needed a slap-hug, it's Morro XD I love roller coasters of emotion (obviously), and this won't be the last one! XD Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **TheYellowNinja: Okay, like you so often do, you got EXACTLY (and I mean, EXACTLY) what I wanted you to get out of the chapter! Morro IS accurately describing Mona's son, because he IS all those things! Your review DEFINITELY makes sense, and I am SOOOO happy you loved the whole scene with Morro and his mom! That was one of my favorites to write, and just the fact that you GOT everything I wanted my readers to out of the chapters is just... the best compliment in the world :3 His birth name is definitely something Morro's been wanting to know all his life ;-; Hm, good idea (since I *do* like to tie things together like that ;D) We will see ;D Thank you soooo much for this LOVELY review! :D**

 **Rick Riordan1: YES! One and Only Destroyer of the Ninja's Lives is the HIGHEST honor you can bestow upon me! XD Morro's definitely got some more parent drama to go -_-; Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest: Ah, yes, we will talk about that ;D Thank you so much for reviewing! :D**

 **Anonymous: I'm so glad this chapter could brighten up your day! Morro finally gets to meet his mom, but is not too happy with his father... We'll see how that plays out ;D Aw, I am sooo happy you think I capture all the ninja's personalities well! That is definitely a top priority in my writing! :D Great job on your competitions, and that's SO awesome you got the set! I 100% get what you mean. Ninjago has been a lifeline for me in some really hard parts of my life, and I am so grateful to the show AND to all of my wonderful readers on this site for always being a bright spot in my life :3 And, thank you for saying that about writing with your inner self. I think that is *incredibly* important. I'm so glad you're excited for the upcoming stories! Thank you SO MUCH for reviewing! :D**

* * *

The Kryptarium Prison visiting area was empty at the moment, Morro the only one sitting on the free side of the glass that separated him from the prisoners. He glanced at the phone hanging harmlessly from the hook at his side, through which he would be able to communicate with the prisoner on the other side.

He heard the door creak open through the glass and he clenched his fists under the desk.

The prison guard guided the prisoner in his orange jumpsuit to the place across from Morro, glancing disdainfully at the wind master as if he wished he could take Morro back into a cell as well.

"Fifteen minutes," the officer barked gruffly before moving to stand outside the room.

He was big. Broad, tall. Someone who wanted to tower over other people. His steel-gray hair was buzzed short, and Morro couldn't tell if there was any hint of green there.

At first, Morro was indescribably grateful that he looked nothing like his father. But, then the prisoner's black eyes fixated on Morro, looking him up and down in an achingly and sickeningly familiar gesture. He had gotten his father's eyes. Eyes that were deep, dark black holes with nothing in them.

Morro reached out and took the phone hanging on the hook, holding it up to his ear.

The prisoner leaned back, a very Morro-like amused smirk on his face, before taking the phone on his side.

"Do you know who I am?" Morro asked.

Morro knew who the man sitting across from him was. His name had been in the police report. King. Miles King.

"You're that kid on the news everyone's up in arms about," King replied, his voice coming out deep and husky, with the lilt of a chuckle underneath the words as if he found this entire situation hilarious. "The one who died and came back to life. Should be impossible. But, when your dad had wind powers and the same green streak in his hair, you learn not to question impossible things."

Morro couldn't mask the miniscule stiffening of surprise. His paternal grandfather. He'd inherited his powers from his paternal grandfather.

"Yeah, kid," King continued. "I know who you are."

The prisoner leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg so its ankle rested on his opposite knee. "You're the spitting image of Mona, you know that? I woulda known who you were even if you'd never been on the news."

Morro narrowed his eyes. "Don't say her name."

"She was my favorite, you know," King continued, unabashed. "By the way, if you're going on this family reunion, you might as well look to see if you got any half-siblings running around out there. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot."

Morro squeezed his eyes shut. King was confident, _toying_ with him, and he hated it because it was _so much_ like how Morro would act in this situation. He would be cocky, unshakeable, the smirk never leaving his face, and Morro hated that he had inherited so much from this man in front of him-

"Shut up," Morro snapped.

"Is that all you came here to say?" King asked teasingly. "What, were you hoping I would give you some fatherly advice on something? Play catch with you, teach you how to ride a bike?" He laughed. "I mean, what were you expecting, kid?"

Morro was quiet for a second.

He looked up, reaching out and tapping his fingers against the glass. "You know, this glass is pretty thin."

A breeze ruffled through King's jumpsuit. The prisoner, confused, looked around for the source of the wind.

"I could break it easily," Morro said, the wind picking up as he sat still. Unshakeable. "I'd be through before that guard could even open the door."

The wind increased to a gale, nearly knocking King off his seat.

"I could snap your neck just like _that_." Morro snapped his fingers and relished in the way King started. "And, the sad part is that no one would even care."

The wind stopped. King regained his balance. Morro leaned back, taking his fingers off the glass.

"But, I won't," Morro shrugged nonchalantly.

King laughed, though it was less condescending and much more nervous than before. "What, you think you're better than me? You think you're talking to me from some moral high ground? I've seen what you've done, kid. The only difference between us is, you're on _that_ side of the glass."

Morro imagined the destruction of Stiix. The woman who had yelled at him in the diner. Lloyd's panicked mind fighting his…

"You're right. I am like you," Morro replied, leaning forward once again. "But, I am going to spend the rest of my life wishing I wasn't. And, every time I feel like doing something bad, I'm going to think about you sitting there in a cell for over half of your life, a sad, pathetic, old man who was too much of a coward to pick on someone his own size."

Morro slammed the phone back on the hook before King could respond.

He stood up and walked out of the room.

He didn't look back.

* * *

Wu looked up from the newspaper he was reading at the kitchen table when he heard the front door of the Airjitzu Temple open and close.

He stood up whenever he saw Morro shuffle into the kitchen, head slightly bowed and gaze averted. He had wanted to go to Kryptarium Prison alone, and the rest of the ninja had explained the situation to Master Wu in the meantime.

"Morro," Wu addressed gently. "How… How are you?"

Morro didn't speak until he came to a stop directly in front of Wu, gaze still on the ground.

"I know who my father is."

Wu nodded, moving to place his hand on Morro's shoulder. The ninja had related the character of Miles King to him while Morro was gone, and Wu knew Morro would be emotionally raw and probably confused when he got back.

The second his hand made contact with Morro's shoulder, though, his first student stepped forward, wrapping Wu in a rare and tight hug.

"I _know_ who my father is."

Morro turned and left the room.

Wu was left standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring blankly after the rarely affectionate wind master.

Then, he smiled. And, the smile did not leave his face for a very long time.

* * *

Jay opened his bedroom door when he heard someone approaching from down the hall. Morro barely flinched when the door swung open, and to Jay, he seemed like someone who'd just run a marathon: slumped over with exhaustion and simply trying to find their bed.

"Hey, Morro," Jay greeted, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms in an attempt to look nonchalant. "How's it, uh, going?"

Morro blinked slowly at Jay.

"Er, right, okay. Well, I just wanted to say- well, it's like this… well, I just wanted to tell you-"

"Just spit it out, Jay."

"Right, sorry! So, you know how my dad, Cliff Gordon, died a few months ago?"

"Yes…?"

"Well, you see, he left me a, um, well, a _lot_ of money, and it's just been sitting there since then, because I don't really know what to do with it."

Jay's blue eyes raised hesitantly to meet Morro's dark brown ones, lightning shooting into a deep dark hole and hoping to hit something inside.

"I thought a good way to spend the money would be to… move your mom closer here. You know, get her a private room in Ninjago City Hospital, provide for all the best care, and maybe even have it on the top floor so you could sneak in to visit her more easily! Or, hey, she could even stay in Cliff Gordon's mansion! I mean, no one's using it now. I could get her a live in nurse and all the medical equipment she could possibly need and… you're… making me nervous by not saying anything."

Morro stayed completely frozen, and Jay wondered if he had offended the wind master in some way.

"You would… do that?"

Jay cocked his head. "Well, _yeah._ It's what you do for family," Jay admitted bashfully, wanting Morro to know that he regretted saying Morro was ever anything less than family. Suddenly, though, he held up both hands. "Now, it's okay if you still have want to leave- I'm not trying to bribe you into staying or anything! I'd obviously do it either way- but I… really hope you stay."

Morro continued to stare at Jay for a moment.

Then, he nodded.

"Okay."

"Okay… what?"

"Okay, I'll stay."

"Really?!" Jay exclaimed, face breaking into a grin. Unable to contain his excitement anymore, he shot forward and hugged Morro around the neck, taking the slightly shorter ninja off guard. "This is great! I can't wait to tell the others!"

Morro chuckled, patting Jay awkwardly on the back. "And, besides, you doing that for my mom makes us even."

Jay pulled away. "Uh… what?"

"Remember? When you cut me in training?"

Jay concentrated hard, trying to call up a memory from several lifetimes ago. He remembered now: Wu had been stitching up Morro's wound, and Morro had smirked at him and said, " _Now, I have the opportunity to get even with you."_

Much like he was smirking at him right now.

Morro shrugged. "I told you I'd get even."

And, with that, Morro sauntered down the remainder of the hallway to his own bedroom. Jay was still sputtering in the threshold when Morro closed the door.

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon, let us see, let us see!"

"Okay, okay, don't rush him!"

"Stop crowding me, Kai!"

"I want to see too!"

"Alright, alright!" Morro called. He was standing shirtless in front of the bathroom mirror with the rest of the ninja squeezed into the doorway.

He hooked his finger under the bandage covering the tattoo on his ribs. "Ready?"

The ninja all held their breaths as Morro slowly began unraveling the white bandage wound three times around his body.

Whereas ninety eight percent of the population hated Morro's guts, the ninja had more or less stumbled across a die-hard, counter cultural, emo fanbase that all but worshipped the ground Morro walked on. Although they were probably more of a cult than Morro would like to admit, they had been ecstatic to give Morro any tattoo he wanted- and the wind master had kept the design between him and them. The ninja had no idea what he had finally decided to get forever imprinted on his body that had unfairly gotten him out of training for over two weeks.

Slowly… slowly… the white gauze fell away...

"The anticipation is killing me!" Jay exclaimed, earning a smack on the back of the head from Cole and a "shh!" from Zane.

Finally, Morro unwound the last layer of gauze.

It was a black, ornate compass spanning the right side of Morro's ribcage, perhaps four inches in diameter. The four cardinal directions were denoted by arrows about a finger's width, while the intermediary directions were demarcated with thin triangles. Only one direction was labeled: _NW._

"Ooh," Nya commented first. "I love it!"

"Yeah, it's awesome!" Cole gushed as he studied the design.

"Why northwest?" Lloyd asked. "Why not north or some other direction?"

Morro smirked, arching an eyebrow. "Who said NW stood for northwest?"

The ninja shared mildly confused looks as Morro pulled on his shirt, but the wind master didn't elaborate.

Kai shrugged it off first, clapping an arm around Morro's shoulders. "Well, c'mon! Let's go catch you up on all that training you've missed."

"Morro will still be sore for quite some time, Kai," Zane reminded the red ninja.

"Why do you think he wants to spar with him?" Cole asked, flicking the fire ninja in the back of the head. "This is the only chance Kai has to actually beat Morro."

"Hey, at least I didn't lose to him in three seconds!" Kai retorted.

"That time didn't count! The sun was in my eyes!"

"Hey, sore or not, I'll take any of you on any day," Morro stated challengingly, crossing his arms.

"Even me?" Lloyd asked, his playfully cocky side peeking out. It had been shy around Morro before, but slowly, slowly, it was making itself known to him, just like it had all his other brothers.

Morro smirked.

" _Especially_ you."

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Gem?" Corrine asked, reaching over to pat the girl next to her on the knee. It was odd, seeing a six year old at a table in a casino.

"Yeah," Gem said quietly, smiling gently at the free ghosts streaming about her, running for the doors, jumping and yelling as they exercised their control over themselves again. "It's been long enough."

" _I_ still can't believe the Bone Keeper agreed to let all his ghosts go," Lydia commented, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "I mean… he's the _Bone Keeper_."

"Well, when he was faced with losing his daughter or losing his workers, he decided which one was more important to him," Dr. Julien explained. "I guess he decided that the one person he needed to find was the one person he never looked for."

"That was beautiful, Doc," Cliff Gordon complimented, reaching over to take Lydia's hand and force her to stop crossing her arms. "You sure you're not a poet?"

The inventor chuckled in response. "That's quite alright. I'll leave the poetry to your son."

"I've stumbled across one of Jay's love poems for Nya," Garmadon commented. "It was certainly… well, _interesting_."

Just as Lydia looked about ready to defend Jay as the greatest poet of all time, Gem stiffened and hopped off her seat.

The Bone Keeper had a distinctly uncomfortable look on his face as he watched all of his former slaves stream around him. A purely generous act with absolutely no forthcoming payment was utterly alien to the shrewd businessman, but it had been Gem's one condition in order to accept him into her afterlife.

His casino wasn't shutting down, not by a longshot, but those who worked there had to do so willingly, in exchange for room and board or some other payment. A few of the people he'd freed had even wanted to stay on as employees. Anne, Gouge, Marjorie, Diane- they found they liked their niche in the casino, and the Bone Keeper couldn't help but feel ever so slightly touched by their loyalty.

As he approached their table, the others could see three ghosts behind him.

It was two girls, a dark skinned girl and a redhead, all but dragging the third ghost along between them. She was crying and struggling to get away from them, as if yearning for the darkness of her cell once again.

The Weeping Woman, London, had been given back her Soul Stone, and now she stood in front of the daughter she had killed.

"Mommy," Gem whispered.

London paused, stilled, quieted. She squinted down at Gem, her eyes unfocused and feverishly bright, but she didn't cry either.

"You killed me," Gem continued, her voice whisper soft despite the harshness of the words. "But, I know you were sick. I know you didn't mean it. I know in your own way, you were trying to protect me."

London swayed on her feet, and no one had the heart to tell Gem that her mind was probably so damaged at this point that she had no idea what Gem was saying to her.

The little ghost stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her mother's waist.

"I forgive you, Mommy."

London didn't move. Stared straight ahead.

Then, slowly, robotically, she placed her hand on Gem's head.

Suddenly, Garmadon stood halfway out of his chair. His glare was potent enough to slice through metal.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Lydia was up and out of her chair in half a second, throwing one arm in front of Cliff and the other in front of Dr. Julien to protect them from…

Lydia blinked.

Wrayth, Bansha, Ghoultar, and the Soul Archer were hovering sheepishly by the entrance of the casino.

Wrayth held up his hands in innocence.

"We didn't come here to fight." He glanced uncertainly at his teammates, as if silently asking if they really wanted to go through with this.

"We came here to work."

Garmadon frowned, crossing his arms. "And, why should we believe that?"

Wrayth looked at his friends again. Then, he removed the hood that covered his entire face. His light brown hair fell unevenly over his pale blue eyes, making him look much younger than he was.

"We're... looking for something," he explained haltingly but earnestly. "And, we're not sure where to find it."

No one spoke right away.

Garmadon looked down when he felt a tug on his pant leg.

Gem was looking up at him with her wide, hypnotic eyes.

"Morro let them go," she whispered so only he would hear. "For this."

Garmadon stared down at her for a moment, forehead creased in consternation.

Finally, he looked back at the four ghosts that had been Morro's generals.

"Someone who's looking for something and doesn't know where to find it?" Garmadon smiled.

"You sound like Lost Souls to me."

* * *

 **The end :D**

 **So... yeah. Let me just say that I've always been intensely private about my writing, so deciding to actually start posting on here was a BIG decision for me! But, all the support you guys have shown has just... made a gigantic difference in my life. Thank you all so much for loving my stories as much as I do, and making me a more confident person and (I think) a more skilled writer :D I know I say this every time, but I am STILL blown away when I think back to how far this story (and the entire trilogy!) has come! I mean, over SEVEN HUNDRED reviews!? I don't think you guys will ever know how much all of your reviews mean to me! :3**

 **SO, that being said, I am going to reply to ALL my backlogged reviews and PMs as soon as possible (I have Spring Break coming up!) and I have more stories in the works! ;D**

 **I'll also go ahead and ask the same survey questions I did at the end of Broken Circle:**

 **1) What was your favorite chapter of Forgotten Memory?**

 **and**

 **2) Out of the three stories in the trilogy (Lost Soul, Broken Circle, Forgotten Memory), which was your favorite?**

 **Once again, no pressure to respond if you don't want to XD I am also always taking suggestions for Zane's Five Times! :D**

 **Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey! I love you all! :D**


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